PBS News Hour - Politics

It’s been nearly two decades since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, and many first responders continue to suffer dire health consequences from exposure to hazardous materials at the disaster sites. Meanwhile, Congress still struggles with how to compensate them, as allocated funding runs dry. Lisa Desjardins talks to Michael McAuliff, a journalist who has covered the story for years.

In our Tuesday news wrap, the House voted to let committees sue agencies and witnesses who defy subpoenas, such as Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn. Meanwhile, President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden exchanged insults, with Trump referring to Biden as "weak mentally" and Biden calling the president "a threat to our core values."

Congressional Democrats remain conflicted about whether to pursue impeachment against President Trump. When asked about her plans investigating the president, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi responded that “what we’re doing is winning in court.” Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest from Capitol Hill and why “there is so much pressure” on Democratic lawmakers over this issue.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., is a former Marine who served four tours of duty in Iraq. Now a candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, he's emphasizing his military service and national security credentials as he faces off against other Democrats. Moulton joins Judy Woodruff to discuss “doing the right thing” on impeachment and why calling the president names is a “waste of time.”

In our Monday news wrap, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler says the Justice Department has agreed to turn over some underlying evidence from the Mueller report. The move delays any House effort to hold Attorney General William Barr in criminal contempt. Also, Hong Kong says it’s moving forward with its proposed China extradition law, despite weekend protests that drew hundreds of thousands.

Over the weekend, 2020 presidential campaigning in Iowa seemed to shift into a higher gear, as 19 Democratic hopefuls visited the state for its Democratic Party Hall of Fame dinner. Former Vice President Joe Biden was notably absent from the event. He leads recent state polls, but four other candidates have joined him in distinguishing themselves from the larger pack. Lisa Desjardins reports.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join John Yang to discuss the top political news stories, including the latest Iowa poll numbers on 2020 Democratic candidates, potential “warning signs” for Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders and another round of Mueller report hearings on Capitol Hill, amid divided public sentiment over impeachment.

Twenty years ago, Carlos Santana released one of the biggest hit albums in history: the Grammy-winning "Supernatural." But 2019 also marks the 50th anniversary of his famed Woodstock performance. On top of that, he has a new album, "Africa Speaks." In Part 1 of a special two-part series, NewsHour Weekend's Tom Casciato sits down with the legendary guitarist to discuss his latest musical direction.

After nearly two years, what did the Mueller probe find? First, the 448-page report is loaded with examples of how the Russians attacked the 2016 election. And though Robert Mueller found that the Trump campaign did not conspire or coordinate with Russia, the report lays out a long string of evidence that the president tried to obstruct justice. Lisa Desjardins and William Brangham report.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and Peter Wehner of The New York Times join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s news, including President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, former Vice President Joe Biden's policy reversal on an abortion rule, plus remembering D-Day 75 years later.