PBS News Hour - Politics

Seattle is trying to combat the influence of moneyed interests in its elections with a new program called "Democracy Vouchers." Eligible voters there receive $25 taxpayer-funded vouchers that they can donate to city council candidates of their choosing with the aim of broadening the base of campaign contributors and getting candidates to engage directly with constituents. Ivette Feliciano reports.

The next phase of the impeachment inquiry begins this week with televised hearings after the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday along sharply divided party lines to approve the proceedings. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Jeff Greenfield joins Megan Thompson to discuss what to look for in the week ahead.

In his third bid for the presidency, former Vice President Joe Biden has long been considered a 2020 Democratic frontrunner. But recent polls show him losing ground to Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren -- especially in Iowa. Judy Woodruff joined Biden on the campaign trail to discuss the impeachment inquiry, primary poll numbers, his age, the U.S. economy, health care and more.

Ukraine, battling Russian-backed separatists, is the only European country at war. The conflict has killed 13,000 people, displaced millions and pushed tensions between Russia and the West close to Cold War levels. It has also strained a society and government already fighting corruption. Nick Schifrin talks to Ukrainian journalist Nastya Stanko about why Ukraine looks to the U.S. for support.

Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus and syndicated columnist Michael Gerson join Amna Nawaz to analyze the week's political news, including details emerging from witness depositions in the impeachment inquiry about President Trump's dealings with Ukraine, current public opinion on Trump and impeachment and 2020 campaign updates, including the withdrawal of Democrat Beto O'Rourke.

The House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve rules governing the impeachment process. Every House Republican opposed the resolution, while all but two Democrats supported it. Lisa Desjardins reports and joins Yamiche Alcindor and Nick Schifrin to discuss procedural details, reaction from both sides of the aisle and the impeachment inquiry's latest witness.

On Thursday, the House formalized procedures for the impeachment inquiry's next phase -- with no Republican support. California Rep. Adam Schiff chairs the House Intelligence Committee, which is central to the process. He talks to Nick Schifrin about how the process aligns with previous impeachments and why the president's conduct left "no choice" but to proceed with the impeachment inquiry.

House Republicans unanimously opposed Thursday's vote to formalize impeachment rules, insisting the process to date has been flawed and opaque. Longtime GOP strategist Michael Steel, who previously served as press secretary for former Speaker of the House John Boehner, joins Nick Schifrin to discuss that argument and why "there isn't a case to be made" that the president is innocent of wrongdoing.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent public defense of allowing political ads on his platform -- even those containing false claims -- drew substantial scrutiny. Now, the CEO of fellow social media giant Twitter says it will stop running political ads in November. John Yang talks to Politico's Nancy Scola about the reasoning, the reaction and the potential implications for other tech companies.

Julián Castro was mayor of San Antonio when he delivered the keynote address at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Under President Obama, he headed the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and today he's one of 17 contenders for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his vision for immigration, health care, and helping all Americans prosper.