PBS News Hour - Politics

More than 200 days have passed since Hurricane Michael hit Florida with devastating Category 5 force -- but a corresponding disaster relief bill is still yet to be passed. Amna Nawaz talks to Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who was the state’s governor during the storm, about the “frustrating” months of gridlock, funding Puerto Rico's recovery and why Scott blames Sen. Chuck Schumer for the stalemate.

Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan has long been considered a Democratic rising star. After unsuccessfully challenging Nancy Pelosi for her leadership role in 2016, he’s now running for president. In his platform, Ryan emphasizes the need to bring U.S. industry into the present and beyond, with sustainable energy sources and modern technology. Judy Woodruff talks to Ryan about why he's the right leader for 2020.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has built a sizeable lead over his 2020 Democratic counterparts. But his competition has been hitting the campaign trail hard as well, releasing policy proposals to address the opioid crisis and restructure public education, among other initiatives. One tactic the candidates have in common is contrasting themselves with President Trump. Judy Woodruff reports.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest in politics, including Sen. Warren’s campaign appearances in geographic areas that turned out for President Trump, how the candidates are balancing policy proposals with personal connections, the role of identity politics and whether Trump’s trade war with China will hurt him with voters.

In our news wrap Friday, the U.S. military confirmed that B-52 bombers have arrived in Qatar, and an aircraft carrier is nearing the Persian Gulf, after tensions with Iran escalated this week. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned Iran not to attack Americans or their interests. Meanwhile, the House approved a $19 billion disaster relief bill over the objections of President Trump.

There are still nine months before the first votes of the 2020 presidential election, but the contest to win the Iowa caucuses is well underway. Each of the more than 20 Democratic hopefuls has visited Iowa already, with eight campaigning there in the last week. Amna Nawaz spoke with Iowa voters about why choosing a candidate is especially difficult this year and how they’re planning to decide.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s political news, including 2020 Democrats on the campaign trail in Iowa, the standoff between Congress and the White House over the Mueller report and subpoenas, President Trump’s trade war with China and escalating tensions with Iran.

In our Thursday news wrap, President Trump defended his oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., after reports he was subpoenaed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which wants to question him about a meeting with a Russian lawyer in 2016. The president said his son had already been “exonerated.” Also, North Korea has reportedly fired short-range missiles for the second time in five days.

Longstanding U.S. tradition sees champions in many sports visit the White House as a celebratory honor. But in this bitterly polarized era, meeting the president is no longer a routine practice. Many star athletes have opted out of the experience based on their political and philosophical perspectives. Yamiche Alcindor talks to Kevin Blackistone of The Washington Post and ESPN about the divide.

President Trump’s decision to defy a House Judiciary Committee subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report has the administration and House Democrats on a collision course--one House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler refers to as a constitutional crisis. Judy Woodruff talks to Nadler, a New York Democrat, about the administration's "complete defiance of the law" and why democracy is at stake.