PBS News Hour - Politics

A U.S. District Court judge in Washington has sentenced Trump ally Roger Stone to 40 months in prison for witness tampering and lying to Congress. Stone is the seventh presidential associate to face jail time for crimes stemming from the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and his fate sparked recent controversy at the Justice Department. William Brangham joins Judy Woodruff.

Wednesday night's Las Vegas Democratic debate was the most contentious yet, as candidates who have been facing off for months took on debate newcomer Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire and former mayor of New York. Bloomberg has spent hundreds of millions of his own money on political ads but had yet to defend his policies -- and his record -- against attacks by his opponents. Amna Nawaz reports.

Wednesday's fiery 2020 Democratic debate came at a critical moment in the campaign, right before the Nevada caucuses and with early voting underway in a dozen states. Judy Woodruff talks to ABC News' Matt Dowd, former chief strategist for President George W. Bush's reelection campaign, and Democratic campaign advisers Michael Meehan and Iam Sams about debate performance and the race's unknowns.

In our news wrap Wednesday, John Rood, a top Pentagon official, is the latest to be purged since President Trump's impeachment trial over the delay in sending military aid to Ukraine. Rood said he is leaving at the president's request. Also, the U.S. Justice Department is denying reports that Attorney General William Barr might quit over frustration with Trump's tweeting.

Six Democratic presidential candidates face off Wednesday in Las Vegas, and for the first time, Michael Bloomberg will be on the debate stage. Nevada, home to the next contest in the primary season, is also more diverse than the last two states where the Democrats competed. Judy Woodruff gets a preview of the debate and the stakes behind the upcoming caucuses from Amna Nawaz.

Michael Bloomberg is many things: activist, billionaire, established politician from a big city. Now he's also a presidential race disrupter. Before the former mayor takes the Democratic debate stage in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Lisa Desjardins talks with Eleanor Randolph, author of "The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg," to understand his complicated and sometimes controversial record.

On Tuesday, President Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of 11 people he said had served enough time or been treated unfairly. The moves come as the president has sharply criticized the Department of Justice for its handling of the case of longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone. William Brangham talks to two former judges, Harvard Law School's Nancy Gertner and University of Utah's Paul Cassell.

Six Democratic presidential candidates will debate Wednesday night in Nevada, with a new face joining onstage. Michael Bloomberg will participate for the first time this primary cycle, as scrutiny over his record intensifies. Lisa Desjardins reports on the candidate's efforts to appeal to minority voters ahead of the Nevada caucuses, and Judy Woodruff talks polling with NPR's Domenico Montanaro.

President Trump is appealing to black voters ahead of November's general election, touting his economic record and arguing Democrats haven't delivered for African American communities. But some of his methods, and those of his supporters, have drawn scrutiny. Judy Woodruff talks to Yamiche Alcindor and Donald Sherman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington for details and analysis.

In the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, most of the candidates have fanned out across Nevada, whose caucuses will be held February 22nd. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar, as well as Pete Buttigieg, are aiming to build on their momentum, while former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren hope to push their campaigns in a new direction. Judy Woodruff reports.