Pbs Newshour - Politics

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