PBS NewsHour - Segments

Arizona has emerged as a surprising battleground state in this year's presidential election, considering President Trump beat Hillary Clinton there by 3.5 percent in 2016. Latinos make up a quarter of the state's eligible voters -- and while polls indicate most of them are supporting Joe Biden, Latinos in Arizona are not a completely united voting bloc. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including the closing campaign strategies of President Trump and Joe Biden, the potential influence of the Supreme Court with the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett and predictions for election results. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Once again, the NewsHour pauses to remember a few of the Americans who have lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The presidential campaign spotlight is fixed Thursday night on a stage at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will confront each other in person for the first time in weeks during a 90-minute debate. Less than two weeks before Election Day, their final face-off of the contest comes with some new rules. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court -- and sent it on to the full Senate. All 12 Republicans voted in favor, while all 10 Democrats boycotted the vote. Also, Republicans in North Carolina have asked the Supreme Court to disallow an extended deadline for accepting absentee ballots. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

On Wednesday night, the director of national intelligence, the director of the FBI and other top U.S. officials appeared at a news briefing to discuss foreign interference in the 2020 election. They pointed in particular to a campaign they allege Iran launched to sow confusion and mistrust. But some lawmakers fear the assessment itself may have political motivations. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In Georgia, nearly 2 million people -- more than a quarter of registered voters -- have already cast their ballots, with some waiting in line for hours to do so. The state has become a new battleground for deciding control of the U.S. Senate, with two Republican incumbents facing competitive races in a state growing more Democratic. Rickey Bevington of Georgia Public Broadcasting reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will face off for the final time Thursday night in a Nashville debate. After a rancorous first meeting in September, the second scheduled debate was canceled due to Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis. Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss what the president's objective will be for this last meeting. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

It has been more than three weeks since Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and President Trump squared off on the debate stage. Since then, 47 million Americans have voted. But for those who haven't, Thursday's Nashville debate represents the final chance to see the candidates face off before Election Day. Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A historic settlement was announced Wednesday among the Department of Justice, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family over the drug giant's role in the national opioid crisis. The CDC estimates that roughly 450,000 people died from opioid overdose between 1999 and 2018. But some critics feel the settlement missed the mark. William Brangham talks to William Tong, Connecticut's attorney general. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For weeks, people have taken to Nigeria's streets to protest police brutality and the heavy-handed tactics of one unit in particular: the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS. The government since disbanded the group, but demonstrators are demanding further reforms -- and compensation for past victims of violence. Special correspondent Phil Ihaza reports from the country's capital, Abuja. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Former Senator Joseph McCarthy died more than 60 years ago, but a recently published book offers a new examination of the notorious Wisconsin crusader's life and lasting political legacy. New York Times bestselling author Larry Tye joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why he chose to write about the controversial senator. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Mahogany L. Browne is a poet, author and mother. In response to the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville in March, Browne wrote a poem called "Apply Pressure" for Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer. Browne offers her Brief But Spectacular take on honoring Taylor. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Both presidential campaigns were focused on North Carolina Wednesday, with Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, making a stop in Asheville and President Trump heading to Charlotte for an evening rally. Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama campaigned on behalf of Joe Biden and Harris in Philadelphia in an effort to mobilize Black voters. Yamiche Alcindor reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Wednesday, pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma is pleading guilty to federal charges of conspiracy and paying kickbacks to doctors amid the national opioid epidemic. The move involves the painkiller OxyContin and comes as part of an $8 billion settlement. Also, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett served on the board of Christian schools barring kids of same-sex parents. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders