PBS NewsHour - Segments

Joy Harjo, the new poet laureate of the United States, is the first Native American to achieve that honor. Jeffrey Brown recently sat down with Harjo, a member of Oklahoma's Muscogee Creek Nation, in Tulsa to discuss how arts shaped her upbringing, her perspective on contemporary "forces of hatred" and why her accomplishment represents a "doorway of hope" for other indigenous people.

Toyin Ojih Odutola was born in Nigeria but moved to the U.S. as a child. When her classmates hesitated to interact with her "otherness," Toyin turned to drawing as an alternate world in which to immerse herself. She found that portraiture in particular enabled her to build characters with whom she identified. Ojih Odutola shares her brief but spectacular take on drawing from a vivid imagination.

In our news wrap Wednesday, the government of Israel remains in political limbo after two main parties deadlocked in Tuesday's do-over election. A smaller party led by former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman may now be critical to forming a coalition in parliament. Also, the European Parliament approved another extension to the deadline for Brexit, if the United Kingdom seeks one.

The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the second time in three months in a bid to keep the U.S. economy growing. What indicators are driving the recent rate reductions, and what is the larger influence of economists on U.S. fiscal and monetary policy? Judy Woodruff sits down with Binyamin Appelbaum of The New York Times, author of "The Economists' Hour," to discuss growth vs. inequality.

In Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia showcased evidence it says proves Iran's involvement in weekend airstrikes on two major Saudi oil facilities. Iran denies the claim, and given the strained relations between the two countries, how should the U.S. respond? Yamiche Alcindor talks to Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute and Rob Malley of the International Crisis Group.

President Trump has announced that states will no longer be able to set their own fuel mileage and emissions standards, as they previously were empowered to do. California, for example, had an agreement with several automakers for voluntary adherence to tougher standards. Its Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why the policy change could be "catastrophic."

The Gulf of Maine is known for lobsters, which form the foundation of an industry critical to the state's economy. Due to climate change, the waters off southern New England have become too warm for the temperature-sensitive crustaceans, leaving Maine as the "sweet spot" for fishing them. But the Gulf's own rising temperatures mean the lobster boom may not last forever. Miles O'Brien reports.

Sand mining accounts for 85 percent of all worldwide mineral extraction, a $70 billion industry. In Cambodia, the practice is big business -- but it comes with a price. The country relies upon the Mekong River for commerce and transportation, but extensive dredging to harvest sand is fundamentally changing its ecosystem and eroding its banks. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.

After reporting that a 40-year-old man died over the weekend due to vaping, the state of California is launching an ad campaign to warn against the dangers of the practice. Federal health officials are also urging people not to vape, but the practice has soared among teenagers in recent years. Our Student Reporting Labs asked teens around the country for their response to the news and warnings.

Last week, several students from Big Sky High School in Missoula, Montana, wrote to the NewsHour to sing the praises of their beloved teacher Mark Moe, who announced he would be retiring. Moe shares the news summary with his classes daily, so his students thought a message from the NewsHour would be a fitting tribute -- and maybe a reason to reconsider. Judy Woodruff shares their story.

In our news wrap Tuesday, Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 48 people and wounded scores more in two separate attacks in Afghanistan, one of which targeted President Ashraf Ghani's election rally. The second deadly blast occurred near the U.S. embassy in Kabul. Also, Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected the idea of talks between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and President Trump.

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Ahead of his appearance, the White House had instructed Lewandowski to discuss only matters covered in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report -- and indeed, Lewandowski refused to answer numerous questions from members of the committee. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

Israelis went to the polls Tuesday for the second time this year, to determine whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure will continue. Netanyahu failed to achieve the required coalition after the regular election in April and was forced to call for a new one. He is also facing corruption allegations. Special correspondent Ryan Chilcote reports and joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

In the aftermath of recent mass shootings, calls for expanding gun safety regulations have increased. Although some of these ideas are popular among Americans overall, how do gun owners specifically feel about them? William Brangham talks to gun owners in Odessa, Texas, site of an August mass shooting, about what legislation they would support and how else they think we can reduce gun violence.

The numbers of immigrant children being detained by U.S. authorities at the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped in recent months. Still, medical professionals continue to articulate concerns about the harmful effects that any detention can have on both the short- and long-term health of these kids. Amna Nawaz reports and talks to Alan Shapiro of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.