PBS News Hour - Politics

Tuesday’s hearing over child separations at the border, held in front of the House Judiciary Committee, elicited heated debates and strong public reactions, as representatives from several government agencies attempted to answer congressional inquiry over the controversial immigration policy. Amna Nawaz reports and talks to Judy Woodruff about troubling new information and what happens next.

On Capitol Hill Tuesday, national security experts raised the alarm about authoritarianism's global rise. Among those participating was former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who called Russia and China “hostile geopolitical rivals.” Rasmussen talks to Judy Woodruff about how President Trump is weakening NATO, fears of a U.S.-Russia arms race and his trust in U.S. intelligence.

The Trump administration intends to limit the Title X program that provides birth control and other reproductive health services. Under the new restrictions, any clinic accepting federal funds would be prevented from performing abortions -- or referring women to other providers for the procedure. William Brangham talks to Doreen Denny of Concerned Women for America, who supports the new policy.

Under a new rule proposed by the Trump administration, family-planning clinics that receive federal funds through Title X would be prevented from referring women to other providers for abortions. One organization that would be affected is Planned Parenthood, whose president, Dr. Leana Wen, talks to William Brangham about why the move would compromise patient health as well as medical ethics.

Confirmed and potential candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination have begun making appearances in states with early primaries. Judy Woodruff runs down the current list of contenders and how they have been interacting with voters so far.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter from the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest entrants into the Democratic presidential contest for 2020, what’s important for contenders to prioritize at this early stage, initial fundraising numbers and how voters may be able to gauge candidate performance against President Trump by his reactions.

On Friday, House Democrats took a first step toward terminating President Trump’s national emergency declaration. Some 226 representatives, including a Republican, signed onto a resolution from Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, to block the move. Meanwhile, Pentagon officials briefed congressional staffers on how they might implement the president’s wall order. Lisa Desjardins updates Judy Woodruff.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks analyze the week in politics, including how Congress is reacting to President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency over immigration, the 2020 candidacy of Bernie Sanders and whether democratic socialism is becoming mainstream.

A new election has been ordered in a North Carolina congressional race still contested after more than three months. The decision follows four days of hearings on alleged voting fraud by an operative working for Republican candidate Mark Harris. Numerous witnesses testified that McCrae Dowless illegally collected absentee ballots. Judy Woodruff talks to NPR's Miles Parks about what happens next.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has published a new book that includes some stunning allegations about President Trump -- including that he is the "most prolific liar" McCabe has ever encountered, despite decades of dealing with sophisticated criminals. McCabe sits down with Judy Woodruff to discuss why FBI investigations aren't political and whether he plans to sue over his termination.