PBS News Hour - Politics

In Syria’s Idlib province, residents fear the worst humanitarian crisis in eight years of war. A deal signed last year was supposed to make it a demilitarized buffer zone, but Syrian and Russian forces have unleashed an onslaught, catching millions in the crossfire. Nick Schifrin reports on how Idlib residents, U.S. interfaith leaders and lawmakers are pushing for President Trump to step in.

Jess Salomon and Eman El-husseini, a Jewish-Palestinian lesbian married couple who perform standup comedy together, have gained new audiences at a moment when the political debate in Washington over U.S. support for Israel has heated up. Hari Sreenivasan reports on how this couple is using humor to tackle conflict.

The showdown over the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches continued to play out Tuesday on Capitol Hill, as Congress again sought answers from the White House, and the Trump administration declined to provide them. Lisa Desjardins reports, and Judy Woodruff talks to Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, about moving toward impeachment.

On the campaign trail, 2020 Democrats condemned a new Alabama law that bans abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called the measure, as well as other recent state efforts to restrict abortion, “blatantly unconstitutional.” Many of the candidates vowed that if elected president, they would nominate only judges who would uphold Roe vs. Wade. Amna Nawaz reports.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including restrictive new state abortion laws and whether they align with public sentiment, evolution within the Democratic Party on education policy and Rust Belt campaign efforts by 2020 candidates.

Alabama and Missouri enacted laws last week outlawing abortion under almost all circumstances, setting up a legal battle that may challenge Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling on abortion. And in other political news this weekend, Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash accused President Trump of “impeachable conduct." Special correspondent Jeff Greenfield joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss.

With 23 Democrats in the race for their party’s presidential nomination, former Vice President Joe Biden is the most recognizable name. But Biden used a campaign kick-off speech in Philadelphia to focus on President Trump and not on his Democratic rivals. NewsHour’s digital politics editor and senior writer, Daniel Bush, who covered the speech, talks with Hari Sreenivasan about Biden’s strategy.

After serving two tours of duty in the Middle East, Tulsi Gabbard became one of the first female combat veterans elected to Congress when she won her bid to represent Hawaii in 2012. Now the representative is one of 23 Democrats competing for their party’s 2020 presidential nomination. She sits down with Judy Woodruff to discuss how she would approach foreign policy and the Mueller report.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s political news, including the role of foreign policy in the upcoming presidential election, restrictive new abortion laws, polling for presidential candidates and a generational divide in the Democratic Party.

There are now 23 Democrats vying for their party's presidential nomination in 2020, but Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was among the first to enter the race. Amid the crowded field, Warren has distinguished herself for her detailed policy proposals. She joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why markets need rules, taxing the ultra rich to pay for college education and facilitating Mideast peace.