PBS News Hour - Segments

President Trump’s Middle East envoy announced that he was bringing his team home from Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Steve Witkoff said he was withdrawing from talks where Israel, Hamas and mediators had been discussing a deal. As Nick Schifrin reports, it comes as nearly all of Gaza’s two million people are hungry. A warning, images in this story are disturbing. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump continued to dial up the pressure on Jerome Powell during a visit to the Fed. The president's public remarks and personal insults about Powell are a major departure from past presidents, and his approach has sparked questions about whether the Fed's independence could be undermined in the months ahead. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Julia Coronado of Macro Policy Perspectives. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order pushing cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a plan to move most of the agency's staff out of Washington, two women were killed and more than a dozen people were injured in eastern Ukraine following Russian strikes and wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Columbia University and the Trump administration reached a deal that restores federal funding and research grant money to the university. As part of the agreement, Columbia will pay $200 million to the federal government. Amna Nawaz discussed the agreement and what it means for higher education with Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University.

PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal surrounding President Trump is intensifying, fueled by growing Republican defiance even as the administration deploys efforts at distracting public attention. Geoff Bennett discussed the latest developments with Carrie Johnson, the national justice correspondent for NPR. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The House of Representatives is headed for the August recess after Speaker Johnson cut business short amid the political furor related to Jeffrey Epstein. House Democrats spent this week introducing amendments to force a vote on releasing documents related to the Epstein investigation. To discuss the political battle and GOP priorities, Amna Nawaz spoke with Rep. Mike Haridopolos of Florida. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Trump administration is making significant changes to how it deals with student debt. It has resumed loan collections from past borrowers, and these changes could have a significant impact on weekly paychecks and credit ratings for many people. This month, two million overdue borrowers could be facing those penalties. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Wednesday, more than 100 aid groups are warning of an increasingly dire situation in Gaza as Palestinians face mass starvation, Volodymyr Zelensky says he's reversing course on a bill that aimed to limit the powers of two anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine and reports say Attorney General Bondi told Donald Trump that his name appeared in files related to Jeffrey Epstein. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump unveiled his approach to the development of AI. Surrounded by some of the biggest names in tech, he signed three executive orders. One targets what Trump called "ideological bias" in AI chatbots, another aims to make it easier to build massive AI data centers and the third encourages the export of American AI tech. Amna Nawaz discussed the implications with Will Oremus. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The U.S. and Japan announced a trade agreement that President Trump hailed as a significant victory for American companies and consumers. In return, he said the U.S. won’t impose 25% tariffs on Japan at the end of this month. William Brangham discussed the details with Kate Kalutkiewicz of McLarty Associates, an international trade consulting firm. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders