PBS NewsHour - Supreme Court

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News & Politics

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Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.

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Is the Supreme Court lookin...

05.17.2021

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear arguments in a major abortion case that could roll back limits on abortion laws cemented by the landmark reproductive rights case Roe v. Wade. In its term beginning October, the court will ...

PBS NewsHour - Supreme Court episodes:

05.17.2021 Is the Supreme Court looking to overturn Roe v. Wade? Here's what one expert thinks The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear arguments in a major abortion case that could roll back limits on abortion laws cemented by the landmark reproductive rights case Roe v. Wade. In its term beginning October, the court will ...
05.04.2021 Looking back at a year of Supreme Court cases tried over the phone Few institutions are as tradition-laden as the U.S. Supreme Court, but the pandemic brought changes. Justices dialed in to hear their final oral argument of the term Tuesday- a case about sentencing reductions for low-level crack-cocaine offenses. Their final call ...
04.28.2021 Student free speech makes it to the Supreme Court in former high school cheerleader's case The social media platform Snapchat, the "F-word," and cheerleading made its way to the Supreme Court Wednesday, in a battle over student free speech. The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that public schools could punish disruptive student speech in school, ...
04.16.2021 Brooks and Capehart on police shootings, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including police shootings of people of color, and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. PBS NewsHour is supported by - ...
03.28.2021 Convictions by non-unanimous juries were banned in 2020. What happens to those imprisoned by them? The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that non-unanimous juries--those that convict a defendant with a split decision--are a violation of the 6th Amendment. But a loophole, until recently, allowed two states to maintain the practice. Special Correspondent Tom Casciato ...
12.11.2020 Supreme Court denies Texas attempt to overturn election results In a closely watched decision the U.S. Supreme Court late Friday denied an attempt by the state of Texas, supported by a large number of Republicans, to overturn the election results and President-elect Joe Biden's victory in four states. Judy ...
11.26.2020 U.S. Supreme Court blocks New York's cap on religious services In a 5-to-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court overnight blocked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's effort to slow rising COVID-19 cases with a cap on the number of attendees at religious services in high-risk communities. Amna Nawaz speaks with the ...
09.24.2020 Justice Stephen Breyer remembers Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 'She was a rock' Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer were friends and longtime allies in their approach to the law. In a conversation with Judy Woodruff, Breyer remembers his friend's brilliance, attention to detail and dedication to her work. PBS ...
09.19.2020 Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be immortalized with statue in Brooklyn, NYC Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's legacy began in Flatbush, Brooklyn in New York where she was born and raised. On Saturday, New York Gov. Cuomo announced that a statue honoring her contribution will be built in the NYC borough. NewsHour Weekend ...
07.31.2020 Clyburn says more important to have Black woman on Supreme Court than as VP House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., chairs the Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, which heard testimony Friday from top U.S. health officials about the status of the pandemic. Clyburn joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the hearing, plus his views on ...
07.10.2020 David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart on Trump's school pressure, Biden's economic plan New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including how the surging coronavirus is affecting President Trump's public support, the significance of the Supreme Court's recent rulings ...
06.29.2020 News Wrap: Golden State Killer will serve life in prison In our news wrap Monday, the man known as the Golden State Killer pled guilty to 13 counts of first-degree murder. Former police officer Joseph DeAngelo will be spared the death penalty but will serve life in prison without parole. ...
06.25.2020 News Wrap: Supreme Court upholds Trump administration's use of quick deportations In our news wrap Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Trump administration's use of quick deportations for legal asylum seekers who fail initial screenings. The 7-2 decision reversed a lower court's ruling that asylum seekers must first have ...
06.19.2020 Shields and Brooks on Bolton's book claims, Juneteenth amid racial unrest Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including major Supreme Court decisions on LGBTQ employment protections and DACA, the claims from John Bolton's new book about President ...
04.27.2020 News Wrap: South Korea urges caution over Kim Jong Un rumors In our news wrap Monday, South Korean officials renewed calls for caution amid speculation about Kim Jong Un. Rumors regarding the North Korean leader's well-being have swirled as he has disappeared from view in recent weeks. Also, the United Nations ...
04.23.2020 News Wrap: Severe storms across the South kill at least 7 In our news wrap Thursday, severe storms killed at least seven people in parts of the South late Wednesday. Reported tornadoes struck in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma before moving east to Mississippi and Alabama. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court refused ...
04.20.2020 News Wrap: Nova Scotia reels from Canada's deadliest ever mass shooting In our news wrap Monday, authorities are searching for answers after a gunman killed 18 people in Nova Scotia over the weekend. It was Canada's deadliest mass shooting ever. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and main rival Benny Gantz ...
03.05.2020 News Wrap: Schumer denies threatening Supreme Court justices In our news wrap Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer insisted he had not threatened two Supreme Court justices on Wednesday, but he did voice regret. Schumer said he "shouldn't have used the words" he had chosen when talking about ...
03.04.2020 What's at stake in Supreme Court's Louisiana abortion law case The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case about access to abortion doctors in Louisiana. The law in question is similar to a Texas one struck down by the Court in 2016 -- but decided by a different group ...
11.12.2019 As Supreme Court takes up DACA, 'Dreamers' hope for another temporary reprieve The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on President Trump's move to end protections for migrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.The Obama-era program, known as DACA, currently blocks some 660,000 people from deportation. National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle and ...
11.12.2019 Why lawsuit against Remington could have a ripple effect for gun industry On Tuesday, the Supreme Court denied an attempt by Remington Arms to block a lawsuit filed by families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, who argue the maker of the AR-15-style rifle should be held liable for ...
11.11.2019 After failed legislative attempts on DACA, fate of 'Dreamers' lies with Supreme Court On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments that could decide the fate of some 700,000 "Dreamers," members of a younger generation of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. They are currently protected from deportation by an ...
10.08.2019 News Wrap: Turkish forces deploy to Syrian border after U.S. troops leave In our news wrap Tuesday, Turkey moved troops into position for an offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, after President Trump ordered U.S. troops out of the area. Also, Hong Kong's chief executive is warning that she might call ...
10.08.2019 Supreme Court weighs whether LGBTQ workers are protected from discrimination The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in what may become a landmark case on the workplace rights of LGBTQ Americans. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act bars employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex -- ...
10.08.2019 For DACA students, it's hard to focus on a bright future when faced with deportation fears Like many college students, 19-year-old Jimmy Rodriguez has a lot on his plate. But unlike most of his peers, Rodriguez, a DACA beneficiary, is pursuing a degree and a future in a country he may one day be forced to ...
10.04.2019 News Wrap: U.S. adds 136,000 jobs as unemployment hits new 50-year low In our news wrap Friday, the Labor Department reports employers added a net 136,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent--a new 50-year low. But factories shed 2,000 jobs amid fears the manufacturing sector is now ...
08.07.2019 In Puerto Rico, Pierluisi is out, Vázquez is in -- and uncertainty reigns Puerto Rico's political upheaval continued when the island's supreme court overturned the installation of Pedro Pierluisi as governor. Outgoing Gov. Ricardo Rossello had positioned Pierluisi to succeed him, but the high court found that process unconstitutional -- paving the way ...
06.28.2019 Shields and Brooks on Democratic debates, Supreme Court rulings Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's political news, including the first debates for 2020 Democratic candidates, whether that party has shifted too far to the left to be ...
06.27.2019 Supreme Court ends term with major rulings on census, gerrymandering The Supreme Court ended its term with two major rulings that could have long-running implications for fundamental U.S. political processes. It blocked a census citizenship question, at least for now, and declared federal courts have no role in policing partisan ...
06.20.2019 Why Supreme Court ruled removing cross memorial would be hostile to religion A Maryland World War I memorial in the form of a cross will remain on public land, after the Supreme Court overturned a lower court's ruling, 7 to 2. What does the decision mean for hundreds of challenges pending in ...
05.30.2019 Planned Parenthood: 'It's simply not true' Mo. abortion clinic breaks rules Missouri is part of a recent wave of state laws that would ban abortion almost entirely, sometimes without exceptions for rape and incest. The state is also making news on abortion for trying to deny its one remaining abortion provider, ...
05.15.2019 Former Justice Stevens on the 3 worst Supreme Court decisions of his tenure Former Justice John Paul Stevens spent 35 years on the Supreme Court, writing some of its most important decisions. At age 99, he is still writing, including a new memoir, and weighing in on prominent U.S. issues today. Judy Woodruff ...
04.23.2019 Why census experts fear a citizenship question would jeopardize results Counting the roughly 327 million people currently living in the U.S. is a massive effort. And this year, before the next census moves forward, the Supreme Court must decide whether the Trump administration should be allowed to add a citizenship ...
03.20.2019 In Curtis Flowers case, race could be a matter of life or death Curtis Flowers has been tried six times for the murder of four people killed in a Mississippi furniture store in 1996. The case is the subject of the second season American Public Media's "In the Dark" podcast. Now the Supreme ...
02.20.2019 Unanimous Supreme Court decision limits states' ability to seize personal property The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to limit civil forfeiture laws allowing law enforcement to seize property from those suspected of committing a crime. In the unanimous decision, the high court sided with a low-level drug offender who argued that the ...
01.22.2019 Supreme Court takes action on transgender military ban, gun case The Supreme Court dealt with some of the most politically charged issues in the nation on Tuesday. National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why the Court's removal of the injunction on banning transgender military service people ...
01.22.2019 What serving in the military means for this transgender sailor Megan Winters, a transgender sailor, says being able to transition while maintaining her Navy role left her personally and professionally "rejuvenated." Although the military cites little evidence that the presence of transgender service members jeopardizes military readiness, the Supreme Court ...
01.16.2019 Supreme Court declines to hear case about toxic burn pits on military bases overseas The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from veterans who had sued defense contractors over claims that toxic smoke from open burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan caused them serious health problems. One of the contractors, KBR, countered that ...
01.04.2019 News Wrap: Fed seeks to reassure markets on interest rates In our Friday news wrap, the chairman of the Federal Reserve sought to ease Wall Street's concerns over future interest rate hikes. Speaking at a forum in Atlanta, Jerome Powell said the Fed is "listening" closely to the market. Also, ...
10.09.2018 Will the Kavanaugh saga tarnish the Supreme Court's image? As Justice Kavanaugh's tenure on the Supreme Court begins, echoes from his contentious confirmation hearings remain. Will the anger and partisanship surrounding this appointment damage public perception of the Supreme Court? Marcia Coyle from the National Law Journal joins Judy ...
10.09.2018 How Trump and trade factor into Heitkamp's reelection battle North Dakota is small in terms of population, but its Senate race this fall is attracting major attention. Incumbent Heidi Heitkamp, the only high-level Democratic official left in the state, faces a close contest with Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer, an ...
10.08.2018 News Wrap: States declare emergencies over Hurricane Michael In our news wrap Monday, Hurricane Michael is heading toward the Florida Panhandle, and is expected to make landfall midweek. Forecasters say it could become a major hurricane with winds topping 110 miles an hour. Also, President Trump predicted the ...
10.08.2018 Tamara Keith and Shawna Thomas on the Kavanaugh election effect Tamara Keith of NPR and Shawna Thomas of VICE News join Judy Woodruff to discuss how Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court could affect voter enthusiasm in the midterm elections, plus the races that are up for grabs ...
10.06.2018 October 6, 2018 - PBS NewsHour Weekend full episode On this edition for Saturday, Oct. 6, the Senate votes to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and the death toll rises in Indonesia in the wake of last week's tsunami. Also, worries over an ISIS resurgence on the ...
10.06.2018 What Kavanaugh's confirmation means for the future of the Supreme Court The Senate's vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court came after weeks of furious debate over allegations that he committed sexual assault and questions of whether his temperament was fit for the nation's highest court. Jamie Floyd, a ...
10.06.2018 Senate votes to confirm Kavanaugh as hundreds protest at Capitol The U.S. Senate on Saturday voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court by a margin of 50-48. The vote, cut mostly along party lines after 30 hours of speeches on the Senate floor, came as protests against ...
10.05.2018 Kavanaugh cruises toward confirmation, bolstered by Collins and Manchin Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced that they would vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh Friday, virtually ensuring his confirmation Saturday. This follows weeks of heated hearings along with a reopened FBI investigation into allegations of sexual ...
10.05.2018 Shields and Brooks on Kavanaugh confirmation showdown Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's news, including the dramatic decisions made by senators on whether or not to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, as well as the deeper national ...
10.04.2018 FBI report on Kavanaugh raises protests by Democrats Outside the Supreme Court on Thursday, some 3,000 protesters demanded the Brett Kavanaugh nomination be rejected, while inside the Capitol, senators read the FBI's report on the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. Democrats said the report was incomplete, but all eyes ...
10.04.2018 How does the FBI's Kavanaugh probe compare to the normal process? The FBI has finished its background investigation into Brett Kavanaugh and now the Senate must decide. Democrats have charged that the probe was "incomplete" and a "sham," while lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford complained that she and other witnesses were ...

Older episodes

PBS NewsHour - Supreme Court

What's PBS NewsHour - Supreme Court about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

PBS NewsHour - Supreme Court episodes:

Is the Supreme Court looking to overturn Roe v. Wade? Here's what one expert thinks

Looking back at a year of Supreme Court cases tried over the phone

Student free speech makes it to the Supreme Court in former high school cheerleader's case

Brooks and Capehart on police shootings, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

Convictions by non-unanimous juries were banned in 2020. What happens to those imprisoned by them?

Supreme Court denies Texas attempt to overturn election results

U.S. Supreme Court blocks New York's cap on religious services

Justice Stephen Breyer remembers Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 'She was a rock'

Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be immortalized with statue in Brooklyn, NYC

Clyburn says more important to have Black woman on Supreme Court than as VP

David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart on Trump's school pressure, Biden's economic plan

News Wrap: Golden State Killer will serve life in prison

News Wrap: Supreme Court upholds Trump administration's use of quick deportations

Shields and Brooks on Bolton's book claims, Juneteenth amid racial unrest

News Wrap: South Korea urges caution over Kim Jong Un rumors

News Wrap: Severe storms across the South kill at least 7

News Wrap: Nova Scotia reels from Canada's deadliest ever mass shooting

News Wrap: Schumer denies threatening Supreme Court justices

What's at stake in Supreme Court's Louisiana abortion law case

As Supreme Court takes up DACA, 'Dreamers' hope for another temporary reprieve

Why lawsuit against Remington could have a ripple effect for gun industry

After failed legislative attempts on DACA, fate of 'Dreamers' lies with Supreme Court

News Wrap: Turkish forces deploy to Syrian border after U.S. troops leave

Supreme Court weighs whether LGBTQ workers are protected from discrimination

For DACA students, it's hard to focus on a bright future when faced with deportation fears

News Wrap: U.S. adds 136,000 jobs as unemployment hits new 50-year low

In Puerto Rico, Pierluisi is out, Vázquez is in -- and uncertainty reigns

Shields and Brooks on Democratic debates, Supreme Court rulings

Supreme Court ends term with major rulings on census, gerrymandering

Why Supreme Court ruled removing cross memorial would be hostile to religion

Planned Parenthood: 'It's simply not true' Mo. abortion clinic breaks rules

Former Justice Stevens on the 3 worst Supreme Court decisions of his tenure

Why census experts fear a citizenship question would jeopardize results

In Curtis Flowers case, race could be a matter of life or death

Unanimous Supreme Court decision limits states' ability to seize personal property

Supreme Court takes action on transgender military ban, gun case

What serving in the military means for this transgender sailor

Supreme Court declines to hear case about toxic burn pits on military bases overseas

News Wrap: Fed seeks to reassure markets on interest rates

Will the Kavanaugh saga tarnish the Supreme Court's image?

How Trump and trade factor into Heitkamp's reelection battle

News Wrap: States declare emergencies over Hurricane Michael

Tamara Keith and Shawna Thomas on the Kavanaugh election effect

October 6, 2018 - PBS NewsHour Weekend full episode

What Kavanaugh's confirmation means for the future of the Supreme Court

Senate votes to confirm Kavanaugh as hundreds protest at Capitol

Kavanaugh cruises toward confirmation, bolstered by Collins and Manchin

Shields and Brooks on Kavanaugh confirmation showdown

FBI report on Kavanaugh raises protests by Democrats

How does the FBI's Kavanaugh probe compare to the normal process?

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