PBS News Hour - Politics

When reports emerged Tuesday that special counsel Robert Mueller had sent Attorney General William Barr a letter expressing concern over Barr’s characterization of the Mueller report’s conclusions, several Democrats called for Barr to resign. Among them was California Rep. Ted Lieu, who joins Judy Woodruff to discuss that and his reaction to Barr's decision not to attend a House hearing Thursday.

Freshman GOP Congressman Denver Riggleman is now four months into his new job. Between the government shutdown and hearings over the Mueller report, he’s learning to balance life on the Hill with the needs of his Virginia constituents. Lisa Desjardins caught up with Riggleman at home in Nelson County over the recess to talk about satisfying voters, attracting donors and navigating party lines.

Hints of bipartisanship emerged between congressional Democrats and the White House Tuesday as the two sides announced a $2 trillion general agreement to renew aging U.S. infrastructure. The apparent progress came despite a standoff over investigations related to the Mueller report. Lisa Desjardins reports and joins Judy Woodruff and Yamiche Alcindor to discuss the unusual episode of "good will."

On the 2020 presidential campaign trail, former Vice President Joe Biden gave his first speech as an official candidate, attempting to appeal to frustrated swing voters and contrast himself with President Trump. Meanwhile, an assortment of other candidates appeared at a union conference in Las Vegas, many of them touting new policy proposals. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Sen. Cory Booker is just one of 20 Democratic presidential candidates so far. How does he distinguish himself from his robust competition? Judy Woodruff sits down with Booker to discuss his combination of executive and legislative political experience, being pragmatic when it comes to health care and tax policy, confronting American mass incarceration and the need for "courageous empathy."

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest news in politics, including an interview with 2020 candidate Sen. Cory Booker, current poll numbers, Joe Biden’s entrance into the presidential race and how Democrats on the campaign trail are characterizing strong economic numbers.

Joe Biden raised $6.3 million on his first day of campaigning, surpassing his fellow Democratic candidates, and Congress will return to work on Monday amid growing tensions in the aftermath of the release of the Mueller report. Special correspondent Jeff Greenfield joins Hari Sreenivasan for some political analysis and perspective.

A DHHS inspector general’s report found it likely thousands more children and parents were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border than previously thought. The Trump administration said it needed up to two years to identify the families, but a federal court granted six months instead. The ACLU’s Lee Gelernt tells Yamiche Alcindor why the judge's decision prompts the issue's "most important moment.”

Baltimore is once again beset by allegations of corruption. The city’s mayor, Catherine Pugh, is accused of bestowing contracts and political favors on companies and organizations that purchased large orders of her book. The scandal, plus rising crime and a lack of economic opportunity, keep Baltimore residents cynical about government. William Brangham talks to Paul Jay of the Real News Network.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks discuss the week’s news, including Joe Biden’s entrance into the 2020 presidential campaign, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s policy proposal on student loans and the adversarial dynamic between the White House and Congress over investigations into the Trump administration.