PBS News Hour - Politics

Iowa, a competitive purple state which has leaned blue, voted for President Trump in 2016 by a big margin. This election, the Biden campaign has managed to narrow that lead, making the state a toss-up. Iowa PBS Senior Producer and Director Andrew Batt joins Hari Sreenivasan from Des Moines to discuss the race in the state as part of our ongoing series, "Roads to Election 2020." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This November, Illinois will be going to the polls for the presidential, Senate and other local races, resulting in several competing ideologies on both sides of the political divide. At the national level, urban voters, especially in Chicago support Biden while President Trump has support among rural voters. WTTW News Director Hugo Balta joins to discuss how COVID-19 is impacting the races there. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Eastern Iowa is reeling a month after a rare windstorm called a derecho devastated the region, destroying hundreds of homes and half a million acres of corn. Newshour Weekend's Christopher Booker reports on the financial burden of the derecho, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump announced he intends to nominate a woman for Justice Ginsburg's seat and several Republican Senators, who in 2016 opposed filling a SCOTUS seat in an election year, are supporting a vote. The contentious issue of the SCOTUS seat, which helped the Trump campaign in 2016, has galvanized the liberal base six weeks before the election. Jeff Greenfield joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's legacy began in Flatbush, Brooklyn in New York where she was born and raised. On Saturday, New York Gov. Cuomo announced that a statue honoring her contribution will be built in the NYC borough. NewsHour Weekend Correspondent Ivette Feliciano joins Hari Sreenivasan from outside Ginsburg's childhood home. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The presidential campaign spotlight is on Minnesota Friday, with both Joe Biden and President Trump visiting a state that has become a new battleground -- and is one of the first in the country to begin early voting. Minneapolis officials say they're working to ensure a safe process for poll workers and voters alike. Meanwhile, the candidates' war of words is escalating. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden campaigned Friday in Minnesota -- a state Trump lost narrowly in 2016. They both visited the state's northern region, where voters are expressing concern over the economy, racial unrest and health care. Known as the "Iron Range," it was a Democratic stronghold but has moved right in recent years. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.

PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Trump administration is going ahead with plans to ban two popular Chinese social media apps. Starting Sunday, Americans will no longer be able to download TikTok or WeChat from Apple or Google app stores, although current versions of TikTok will still be usable. What are the concerns motivating the policy? Nick Thompson, editor-in-chief of WIRED Magazine, joins William Brangham to discuss.

PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including President Trump's vaccine rhetoric, the administration's political manipulation of science, Joe Biden's campaign message for working-class voters and Trump's approach to U.S. history education.

PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With about six weeks remaining until Election Day, the security of elections and mail-in ballots were part of an ongoing, contentious debate Thursday. President Trump kept up his continued, unfounded attacks on mail-in voting as a threat to the election, while FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that ongoing Russian disinformation campaigns are the real danger. William Brangham reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders