POPULARITY
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
For many people, fireflies are part of the story of summer, evoking memories of lazy, hot evenings spent trying to catch them in glass jars. Now, one man is still trying to catch them — not with a jar, but with a camera — to raise awareness about the threats facing these glowing insects. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
When Zelenskyy returns to the Oval Office on Monday, at least a half-dozen European leaders will join him in a high-profile display of unity. After meeting with Putin on Friday, Trump aligned himself with Russian positions, triggering fears that Ukraine could be pressured to accept Moscow’s terms. John Yang speaks with William Taylor, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, for more on what to expect. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
For many people, fireflies are part of the story of summer, evoking memories of lazy, hot evenings spent trying to catch them in glass jars. Now, one man is still trying to catch them — not with a jar, but with a camera — to raise awareness about the threats facing these glowing insects. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
When Zelenskyy returns to the Oval Office on Monday, at least a half-dozen European leaders will join him in a high-profile display of unity. After meeting with Putin on Friday, Trump aligned himself with Russian positions, triggering fears that Ukraine could be pressured to accept Moscow’s terms. John Yang speaks with William Taylor, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, for more on what to expect. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine are shifting next week to the White House, where Trump will meet with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy. Their talks come as Trump aligns himself with Putin, dropping his demand for a ceasefire and backing a comprehensive peace deal hours after meeting with Russia’s president in Alaska. John Yang speaks with security expert Andrea Kendall-Taylor for analysis. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In July, the Trump administration proposed revoking a landmark 2009 finding that’s been the basis for EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. If the proposal is finalized, experts warn that it could jeopardize the health of millions of Americans, especially children. John Yang speaks with pediatrician and clinical professor Dr. Debra Hendrickson for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In July, the Trump administration proposed revoking a landmark 2009 finding that’s been the basis for EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. If the proposal is finalized, experts warn that it could jeopardize the health of millions of Americans, especially children. John Yang speaks with pediatrician and clinical professor Dr. Debra Hendrickson for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In July, the Trump administration proposed revoking a landmark 2009 finding that’s been the basis for EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. If the proposal is finalized, experts warn that it could jeopardize the health of millions of Americans, especially children. John Yang speaks with pediatrician and clinical professor Dr. Debra Hendrickson for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In July, the Trump administration proposed revoking a landmark 2009 finding that’s been the basis for EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. If the proposal is finalized, experts warn that it could jeopardize the health of millions of Americans, especially children. John Yang speaks with pediatrician and clinical professor Dr. Debra Hendrickson for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
President Trump moved to take over policing in Washington, D.C. to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime," but the data doesn’t back up many of his claims. Murder and violent crime dropped significantly across the U.S. last year, a trend that’s continued so far in 2025. The crackdown comes even as his administration cut funding for other kinds of crime prevention work. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
President Trump moved to take over policing in Washington, D.C. to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime," but the data doesn’t back up many of his claims. Murder and violent crime dropped significantly across the U.S. last year, a trend that’s continued so far in 2025. The crackdown comes even as his administration cut funding for other kinds of crime prevention work. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
New college graduates are facing one of the most challenging markets for entry-level jobs in a decade. PBS News asked recent grads about their job searches, and John Yang speaks with Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake, for more on the current state of the job market and advice for first-time job seekers. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In the face of mounting international condemnation, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu defended his plan for a military occupation of Gaza City. At a news conference Sunday, he lashed out at what he called a “global campaign of lies,” while the U.N. Security Council gathered for an emergency meeting on Gaza. John Yang speaks with The Economist’s Israel correspondent Anshel Pfeffer for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In the face of mounting international condemnation, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu defended his plan for a military occupation of Gaza City. At a news conference Sunday, he lashed out at what he called a “global campaign of lies,” while the U.N. Security Council gathered for an emergency meeting on Gaza. John Yang speaks with The Economist’s Israel correspondent Anshel Pfeffer for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The black market trade in rhino horns is driving the species to near extinction. Now, scientists at a rhino orphanage in the Bushveld of South Africa are trying to protect them from poaching in a rather surprising way. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Saturday in Atlanta, Jen Pawol took the field as the first woman to umpire a regular-season game in Major League Baseball’s nearly 150-year history. She was on the bases this afternoon for both games of a doubleheader between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. John Yang speaks with The Washington Post’s national baseball writer Chelsea Janes for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The Gifford Fire in Southern California has reached “megafire” status, burning an area bigger than Atlanta. Megafires, which burn more than 100,000 acres, have become increasingly common in recent years. A new book, “When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World,” is the first-hand account of a season with a team of elite firefighters. John Yang speaks with author Jordan Thomas for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In Geneva, negotiators from 175 nations are trying to hammer out the first-ever legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. The urgency of the talks was underscored this week by a new study published in The Lancet. It calls plastics a “grave, growing and under-recognized danger to human and planetary health.” John Yang speaks with Tracey Woodruff, one of the study’s authors, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The black market trade in rhino horns is driving the species to near extinction. Now, scientists at a rhino orphanage in the Bushveld of South Africa are trying to protect them from poaching in a rather surprising way. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In Geneva, negotiators from 175 nations are trying to hammer out the first-ever legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. The urgency of the talks was underscored this week by a new study published in The Lancet. It calls plastics a “grave, growing and under-recognized danger to human and planetary health.” John Yang speaks with Tracey Woodruff, one of the study’s authors, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
President Trump’s call to exclude those without legal status from the census could reshape the country’s congressional districts. But opponents argue that it would violate the 14th Amendment’s requirement that the allocation of congressional seats be determined by “counting the whole number of persons in each state.” John Yang explores what Trump hopes to achieve with NPR's Hansi Lo Wang. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
President Trump’s call to exclude those without legal status from the census could reshape the country’s congressional districts. But opponents argue that it would violate the 14th Amendment’s requirement that the allocation of congressional seats be determined by “counting the whole number of persons in each state.” John Yang explores what Trump hopes to achieve with NPR's Hansi Lo Wang. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
There are growing concerns around the proliferation of misogyny online and its migration into real-world interactions, especially those involving young men. John Yang reports on a Detroit teenager’s experience and the broader implications of this trend. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
SEASON 3 EPISODE 148: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:45) SPECIAL COMMENT: Now that it's Murdochian Official (WHAT? Trump is IN the Trumpstein files? I'm shocked to discover there's gambling going on in here) and a Politico source says Trump and his White House goons are so lost "it's the first time I've ever seen them sort of paralyzed," expect them to push even harder on their QAnonTM fantasy that Barack Obama is guilty of 'treason' - even beyond the farce that the nitwitted Tulsi Gabbard and Karoline Leavitt presented yesterday. So it is time for President Obama to respond - and crush Trump. It is Obama's moment. Rather than again insist that EVERYBODY ELSE needs to DO more and SAY more and STAND for more, he should give a national address in which he sues Trump personally for slander and defamation and announce a ridiculous figure sought - like $500 Billion - and call for a conference at which he and President Clinton and other Democratic leaders and the SCOTUS justices they appointed and every decent Republican and every true American meets to strategize how to legally and immediately remove Trump from office and replace his criminal gang with a bipartisan caretaker government to carry us through to Election Day 2028. I will give a version of the speech Obama should now give, because he has been unexpectedly afforded the opportunity to perhaps actually start something that could end this nightmare of a madman steadily disassembling American democracy, a Temu Hitler gradually turning harassment of minorities into persecution and ethnic cleansing, a criminal who must stay in office at any cost or face the reality of dying in prison for his countless crimes. I have no doubt he can do better. I would not doubt he has a better idea. I will take no offense - provided he DOES something. “Trump is clearly furious,” a Politico close-to-the-White House source told its Trump stenographer yesterday. “It’s the first time I’ve seen them sort of paralyzed.” Say Hey! Trump’s White House is paralyzed! Excellent – kick them down the stairs, they can’t fight back. It’ll hurt more. The Trumpsteen Birthday Card is real and it CAN’T be the worst thing about Trump in the files that we now know Bondi told him about in May, otherwise he would’ve released the files. The photos of Epsteen at Trump’s second wedding are real, and THEY can’t be the worst otherwise he would’ve released it. Whatever’s worst is at LEAST B+ material. Keep hammering. B-Block (37:16) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: They piled up quick! Trump just asked Washington's NFL team to change its name; Trump once hammered Obama for asking Washington's NFL team to change its name. Mike Lee fell for an AI Jerome Powell resignation so badly done that the only word in the office logo that wasn't gibberish was "BUREAU," Chris Cillizza is actually criticizing somebody else for talking politics when nobody wants to hear that person talking politics, and the passing of the eternal Ozzy Osbourne inspires John Yang to get Ozzy's native country wrong and Alex Jones to get the cause of death wrong. C-Block (48:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: Can you believe it? After I presented the inarguable evidence that CBS didn't fire Colbert just to please Trump (how are you shutting him up if he's not fired until next May?) I get invited to speak at a PRO-Colbert rally. I explained what I was going to say, and the line went dead. One of the things I was going to say was how this is the same as MSNBC's firing of Phil Donahue in 2003. I was actually in the room for that, so let's go through it step by step. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The U.S. produces more plastic waste than any other country in the world. Last year, more than 35,000 tons of it was shipped to Malaysia, which received more discarded plastic from rich nations than any other developing country. But in June, Malaysian leaders effectively banned future shipments. John Yang speaks with Anja Brandon, director of plastics policy at Ocean Conservancy, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
There are signs that Israel is preparing to expand ground operations into an area of central Gaza that has been a relatively safe refuge for displaced Palestinians and humanitarian aid groups. While the Israeli military issued evacuation orders, at least 85 more Palestinians were reportedly killed while seeking food aid. John Yang speaks with The Wall Street Journal’s Sudarsan Raghavan for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
There are signs that Israel is preparing to expand ground operations into an area of central Gaza that has been a relatively safe refuge for displaced Palestinians and humanitarian aid groups. While the Israeli military issued evacuation orders, at least 85 more Palestinians were reportedly killed while seeking food aid. John Yang speaks with The Wall Street Journal’s Sudarsan Raghavan for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The U.S. produces more plastic waste than any other country in the world. Last year, more than 35,000 tons of it was shipped to Malaysia, which received more discarded plastic from rich nations than any other developing country. But in June, Malaysian leaders effectively banned future shipments. John Yang speaks with Anja Brandon, director of plastics policy at Ocean Conservancy, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
As Trump continues to spar with parts of his political base over his handling of the Epstein files, attention is turning to the relationship between the two men. John Yang speaks with New York Times White House correspondent Luke Broadwater, who has written about what’s known about the Trump-Epstein relationship, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee met in Paris this month to add to its list of cultural sites around the world deemed to be of “outstanding value to humanity.” The 26 new sites reflect the wide range encompassed by UNESCO’s criteria. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee met in Paris this month to add to its list of cultural sites around the world deemed to be of “outstanding value to humanity.” The 26 new sites reflect the wide range encompassed by UNESCO’s criteria. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
As Trump continues to spar with parts of his political base over his handling of the Epstein files, attention is turning to the relationship between the two men. John Yang speaks with New York Times White House correspondent Luke Broadwater, who has written about what’s known about the Trump-Epstein relationship, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join John Yang to discuss the week in politics, including the MAGA debate over releasing the Epstein files intensifies and congressional Republicans deliver Trump a win by clawing back $9 billion in foreign aid and public media funding. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Nearly six years after he died, Jeffrey Epstein is still at the center of controversy. Part of President Trump's political base is angry over the handling of the files from the investigation into Epstein's sex crimes and his death in a jail cell. John Yang discussed the political fallout with Glenn Thrush of The New York Times and Dave Weigel of Semafor. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
For 25 years, the State Department has had an office tracking the scope of human trafficking and working to combat it. In 2023, more than 133,000 victims were identified globally, leading to more than 18,000 prosecutions. Last week, the Trump administration drastically cut that office’s staff. John Yang discussed more with Cindy Dyer, the former ambassador to monitor and combat trafficking. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join John Yang to discuss the week in politics, including the MAGA debate over releasing the Epstein files intensifies and congressional Republicans deliver Trump a win by clawing back $9 billion in foreign aid and public media funding. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Nearly six years after he died, Jeffrey Epstein is still at the center of controversy. Part of President Trump's political base is angry over the handling of the files from the investigation into Epstein's sex crimes and his death in a jail cell. John Yang discussed the political fallout with Glenn Thrush of The New York Times and Dave Weigel of Semafor. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join John Yang to discuss the week in politics, including the MAGA debate over releasing the Epstein files intensifies and congressional Republicans deliver Trump a win by clawing back $9 billion in foreign aid and public media funding. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
This weekend, lawmakers got their first look inside “Alligator Alcatraz,” the makeshift immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., called the conditions “disturbing and vile,” a description Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem challenged. John Yang speaks with Miami Herald reporter Ana Ceballos about the controversy surrounding the facility. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
A new round of heavy rains Sunday and a renewed threat of flooding in central Texas interrupted the search for those still missing from the devastating July 4 flash floods. Ten days after fast-moving waters of the Guadalupe River swept away homes and vehicles, the full extent of the human toll is still emerging. John Yang speaks with reporter Tony Plohetski for the latest from Texas. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Adoring fans from around the world converged in Thailand this week to celebrate the first birthday of Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo who became a social media sensation. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The search for more than 100 people still missing from the catastrophic July 4 flash floods in Texas began its second week Saturday. Officials have rejected suggestions that the calamity could have been anticipated, but an analysis by NPR and PBS Frontline suggests otherwise. John Yang speaks with Laura Sullivan, an NPR investigative correspondent, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The Justice Department released a memo detailing Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 death in prison. The report ruled out foul play, saying Epstein died by suicide, and found no evidence that he kept a list to incriminate those involved in his sex crimes. Now, some of President Trump’s allies are frustrated that the administration is moving on from the case. John Yang discussed more with Glenn Thrush. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House Monday. Netanyahu left Israel Sunday for the two leaders’ first in-person meeting since last month’s joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iranian nuclear facilities. John Yang speaks with Kenneth Pollack at the Middle East Institute about what’s likely to be on the agenda for the talks. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The 2015 Paris agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius was thought to be the threshold for averting severe climate change impacts. But new research says even that level is too high to prevent the catastrophic consequences of sea level rise due to melting glaciers. John Yang speaks with Chris Stokes, one of the study’s authors, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
President Donald Trump went to Iowa on Thursday to start the countdown to the nation’s 250th Independence Day next year. To mark the anniversary, the nonpartisan Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress is looking at 250 years of U.S. innovation. John Yang speaks with Glenn Nye, the center’s president and CEO, about the project. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
This week, federal prosecutors charged four North Korean nationals with scheming to get hired by a U.S. company as remote workers and then steal nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency. It’s a relatively new North Korean threat: operatives using fake IDs and credentials to infiltrate American businesses. John Yang speaks with freelance investigative reporter Bobbie Johnson to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join John Yang to discuss the week in politics, including the political fallout of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, President Trump's total control over Washington and the state of American democracy on this Independence Day. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join John Yang to discuss the week in politics, including the political fallout of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, President Trump's total control over Washington and the state of American democracy on this Independence Day. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders