PBS News Hour - Segments

Many of the policies enacted by the Trump administration with lightning speed in these first 100 days were initially laid out two years ago in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. David Graham’s new book “The Project” details its origins and sweeping goals to reshape American culture. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López sat down with Graham to discuss more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump is pushing for more control at dozens of colleges and universities, he says to promote free speech, end “wokeism” and clamp down on antisemitism. But many schools are opposing the efforts. Conservative activist Christopher Rufo has been instrumental in triggering the wider response and big changes from the administration. Amna Nawaz spoke with him for our series, On Democracy. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Trump administration has put its mark on the nation’s cultural sector. One focus is on how American history is told and presented in museums and monuments. That has roiled many in the academic and art worlds. Jeffrey Brown explores the effort to reshape institutions for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Streaming viewership of "Conclave" surged 3,200 percent in the week after Pope Francis’ death. Viewers turned to that movie, which won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, to help them understand one of the most secretive elections on the planet. The film is based on the novel by Robert Harris, who joined Geoff Bennett to break down the complicated process of electing the next pontiff. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Donald Trump crossed the 100-day mark Tuesday with a late-night rally and a heated primetime interview where he defended his controversial mass deportations. Wednesday, he held a roundtable meeting with his Cabinet, who spent much of it touting their own records over the past few months. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Wednesday, a federal judge released Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi who led protests against the war in Gaza while a student at Columbia University, a derecho killed three people in Pennsylvania, Israel is asking for international aid as it battles wildfires near Jerusalem and Hawaii increased a tax on hotels and other accommodations to help fight climate change. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Alberto Gonzales served stints as attorney general and White House counsel under the George W. Bush administration and is now the dean of Belmont University’s law school. He joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the rule of law and President Trump’s apparent willingness to test its limits.

It's part of our series, On Democracy. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Oklahoma's charter school board approved the creation of a Catholic virtual school in 2023, establishing the nation’s first publicly-funded religious charter school. Oklahoma's Supreme Court blocked it, saying it violated the state constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case on Wednesday and John Yang discussed the arguments with News Hour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump has made a bold gamble with a fundamental change in economic policy by launching tough tariffs. He argues they will revitalize manufacturing, reduce the national debt and grow the economy. Amna Nawaz has differing perspectives on Trump's claims from Oren Cass of the conservative think tank American Compass and economist Jason Furman, who served as an adviser under President Obama. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As Democrats grapple with President Trump’s first 100 days in office, they also contend with a minority in both the House and Senate. Looking ahead at the long road to the 2026 midterm elections, some Democrats are hoping to shape the party’s messaging and platform well before then. Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin has been laying out her strategy and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss it further. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders