September 21, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode

Friday on the News Hour, the Supreme Court allows states to use a controversial federal database to verify voter eligibility. The Trump administration removes hundreds of thousands of people from the Affordable Care Act at a time of rising health care costs. Plus, Mexico's foreign minister talks about trade agreements with the U.S. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Key European leaders are sounding the alarm over Russian aggression, warning that Vladimir Putin is planning attacks aimed at testing NATO's security alliance. Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses those concerns with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and two former U.S. ambassadors to NATO, Julianne Smith and Kurt Volker. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

We are all being watched in ways we never imagined, including vehicle tracking, facial recognition technology and data mining. What does all this digital surveillance mean for the right to privacy? And as a backlash over this monitoring grows, what can you do to protect yourself? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the ethics of surveillance Byron Tau and Calli Schroeder. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Thursday on the News Hour, President Trump hosts China's Xi Jinping and extends the two nations' trade truce. The price of diesel spikes, hitting Americans' wallets and rippling through nearly every part of the U.S. economy. Plus, how a lock of hair settles a 200-year-old question about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Wednesday on the News Hour, Iran's president delivers a defiant speech at the United Nations, calling out President Trump by name. A federal court holds an emergency hearing over Trump's decision to ban three news organizations from the White House. Plus, Judy Woodruff travels to Kansas to explore how rising costs are threatening the long-standing American tradition of the family farm. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Tuesday on the News Hour, President Trump defends the war with Iran and threatens annihilation in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly. What the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal could mean now that a settlement with state attorneys general has cleared the way for the merger. Plus, as access becomes more restricted, researchers find new uses for abortion-related drugs. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Monday on the News Hour, three news outlets sue the Trump administration after the president strips them of their credentials and bans them from the White House. How efforts to restrict abortion-related drugs are making it harder to treat other health conditions. Plus, an American Israeli captured by Hamas on Oct. 7 holds a concert to share the songs that kept him alive in captivity. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Friday on the News Hour, President Trump promises to ban media outlets from the White House in his latest attack on freedom of the press. Immigration arrests surge to record levels but spark fewer protests as the Trump administration shifts tactics to draw less attention. Plus, the stories of four Afghan women trying to rebuild their lives in the U.S. after escaping the Taliban takeover. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In Iran, prices are soaring, gas lines are growing and leaders are becoming harder-line. Reza Sayah is the PBS News Hour's special correspondent in Tehran and sat down with Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin to discuss what it has been like to live through months of war and economic strangulation. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

If we are lucky enough to live full lives and form meaningful relationships, chances are, we will also experience loss, and with it, grief. As common as grief is, it's also mysterious. Horizons guest moderator Ali Rogin explores the science of grief with Liz Gleeson and Dr. George Slavich. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy