PBS News Hour - Politics

Health care continues to be a major issue on Americans' minds, and as Democratic presidential candidates launch their campaigns, it's also a policy priority for them. Lisa Desjardins reports on the contenders' various proposals and talks to Dylan Scott of Vox about terminology and branding, political calculations and how Americans view an expanded government role in health care.

Election Day occurred more than three months ago, but North Carolina's 9th Congressional District has still not certified a winner, as state officials try to determine whether an operative of Republican candidate Mark Harris' campaign handled ballots illegally. Harris received only 905 more votes than Democrat Dan McCready in unofficial results. Judy Woodruff talks to NPR's Miles Parks for more.

Numerous Democrats have already announced or hinted at their candidacy in the 2020 presidential election. For many of them, tax policy, and specifically, increasing how much the very wealthy pay, is a platform priority. Lisa Desjardins reports on their proposals and talks to the Washington Post's Philip Bump about why taxes are in the spotlight now and how American voters are likely to respond.

Although a second government shutdown has been averted, Yamiche Alcindor reports that repercussions from the one that ended in January are still being felt -- and they extend far beyond federal employees. She also talks to the Partnership for Public Service's Max Stier about the shutdown's long-lasting effects and how they could make federal hiring more difficult.

The fallout from President Trump’s national emergency declaration over immigration is sparking questions about the scope of executive power. For analysis, Judy Woodruff talks to Andrew Rudalevige, professor of government at Bowdoin College and author of “The New Imperial Presidency: Renewing Presidential Power after Watergate,” and Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter from the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s political news, including public reaction to President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency over immigration, how Democrats eager to dive into the 2020 presidential contest are courting voters in strategic states and what a Republican primary challenger could mean for the president.

The U.S. and dozens of other countries are pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to resign and allow Juan Guaido to take over. Monday, President Trump is expected to address the escalating political crisis in Venezuela during a speech in Florida. How did the crisis begin and what’s next in the region? Columbia University's Christopher Sabatini joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss.

A devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti created an unprecedented health crisis that led the U.S. to grant Haitians Temporary Protected Status. But with the Trump administration's plan to eliminate TPS, 60,000 Haitians living in the U.S. may be deported. NewsHour Weekend's Ivette Feliciano reports on one doctor's efforts to confront Haiti's health challenges amid a possible influx of deportees.

President Trump declared a national emergency Friday over immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, so he can redirect billions of dollars to build additional sections of wall there. Trump plans to take roughly $6 billion from the Defense Department and millions from other sources. Judy Woodruff talks to Yamiche Alcindor about expected legal challenges and why the president's data is problematic.

Several states and organizations are preparing legal challenges to President Trump’s national emergency declaration over immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. One of them is California, whose attorney general, Xavier Becerra, talks to Amna Nawaz about why Trump’s “reckless” action inappropriately reallocates taxpayer money, is without precedent and could violate the Constitution.