PBS News Hour - Politics

In Boulder, Utah the co-owners of the Hell's Backbone Grill, a restaurant in the shadow of the Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument, are fighting the recent Trump administration decision to remove almost one million acres from the monument. NewsHour Weekend's Mori Rothman spoke with the owners about why the monument is vital to their business and their way of life.

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty join Judy Woodruff to analyze the week's political news, including President Trump's Fourth of July celebration, political and cultural implications of the crowded detention centers on the U.S.-Mexico border and the latest dynamics within the race for the 2020 presidential nomination.

Arthur Brooks is the former president of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington, D.C., think tank. Troubled by the level of animosity in the current U.S. political landscape, he's analyzed why we increasingly hate those with whom we disagree -- and how to use love to try to persuade them instead. Brooks joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his latest book, "Love Your Enemies."

We have a very special bonus episode for you today from our friends at Outside/ In, a podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio about the natural world and how we use it. This episode looks at how Republicans have grappled with the issue of climate change through the story of one powerful New Hampshire family: the Sununus. Understanding the decisions the family made around climate change policy can help us understand how Republicans more broadly have shifted on climate change -- and how they haven't. You can find more episodes of Outside/ In in your favorite podcast app or online at outsideinradio.org.

Although the Trump administration has faced criticism for overcrowded and unsanitary migrant detention facilities, the president seems to be sticking to his hardline stance on immigration. He rejected a federal court ruling that it's unconstitutional to hold asylum-seekers indefinitely without bail and insists a census citizenship question is moving forward. Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff.

More than 35 U.S. states have laws classifying a fetus as a victim in a homicide or an assault. Those laws can result in criminal charges against pregnant women, as highlighted by a recent Alabama case involving a woman whose fetus died after she was shot. Lisa Desjardins talks to Mary Scott Hodgin of WBHM public radio about what happened and why the district attorney decided not to prosecute.

The 2020 Democratic presidential race seems to reflect an increasingly liberal party. But with the current Republican Senate majority, it would be nearly impossible for a Democratic president to enact such progressive legislation. Can Democrats actually gain Senate seats in 2020? Judy Woodruff talks to The Washington Post's Philip Bump about why the Senate should be a "huge concern" for Democrats.

After the first debates of the 2020 presidential campaign, candidates sought to build on their momentum or reposition themselves over the weekend. Sen. Kamala Harris fended off attacks from the Trump campaign, while other 2020 Democrats came to her defense. Meanwhile, immigration and conditions at U.S. detention centers continued to galvanize candidates who called the status quo "inhumane."

NPR's Tamara Keith and Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown join Yamiche Alcindor to discuss the latest political news, including post-debate poll numbers for 2020 Democrats, whether former Vice President Joe Biden's lead will be "durable," why racist attacks on Sen. Kamala Harris could mean she's a threat to Trump, Pete Buttigieg's fundraising milestone and Trump's upcoming Fourth of July celebration.

In Japan, President Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin and his staff not to meddle in the 2020 election, but he did so with a grin. Although G-20 summits have historically been calm conferences, President Trump has made them less predictable. He will finish his trip to Osaka with a pivotal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Nick Schifrin reports.