PBS News Hour - Politics

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks analyze the week in politics, including chaos at the highest levels of Virginia government, the effectiveness of congressional investigations, the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling and the legacy of Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich.

With two Virginia state leaders admitting to wearing blackface and another accused of sexual assault, Democrats are debating not only a change in leadership but what their party stands for. Amna Nawaz is joined by Washington Post reporter Eugene Scott and Harvard University historian Leah Wright Rigueur to discuss this moment of reckoning in American politics.

Democrats on Thursday introduced what they are calling the Green New Deal. The plan would require the U.S. government to reduce carbon emissions by overhauling how we get around, how we power our buildings and how we grow our food. William Brangham speaks to Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who is co-sponsoring the resolution with freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York.

The morning after President Trump delivered his second State of the Union speech, the sharp differences in reaction were on display. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised the speech and its calls for unity, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the president of making threats. Judy Woodruff reports.

Tuesday's State of the Union was an occasion for both political parties to lay out their priorities and stake out ground for political battles to come. President Trump highlighted his pursuit of a border wall, lowering drug prices, the fight against the Islamic State group and economic issues. Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to fact-check some of the president’s claims.

Tuesday was the first time President Trump addressed a Democratically controlled House in his State of the Union address. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to offer a look at some of their top legislative priorities -- election and government reform, gun background checks, infrastructure, voting rights -- and why there may be hope for a border security deal to avert another government shutdown.

The State of the Union fanfare is gone. What now? Join the PBS NewsHour’s Amna Nawaz, Lisa Desjardins, Yamiche Alcindor and Daniel Bush as they dig into President Donald Trump’s speech and the Democratic response. Which statements have traction and which are just rhetoric? As always, you can expect smart analysis, useful insights and the kind of conversation you won’t get anywhere else.

As President Trump prepares to deliver the State of the Union Tuesday night, the White House says he will both appeal for unity and hold to his demand for a southern border wall. But Democrats voiced skepticism that the president is serious about reconciliation. Judy Woodruff gets a preview of the address and response from both ends of Capitol Hill from Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor.

Before President Trump’s State of the Union address, the third-ranking Democrat in the House says he thinks there is common ground to be had on border security. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., joins Judy Woodruff to discuss what priorities both parties could agree on this year.

The political battle lines are drawn ahead of President Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address. For perspective on the run-up to the big address from opposite sides of the American political spectrum, Judy Woodruff talks to Chris Buskirk, editor of American Greatness, and Karine Jean-Pierre of MoveOn.org.