PBS NewsHour - Segments

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's political news, including President Trump's personal attacks on Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland and other lawmakers of color, the significance of a wave of Republican congressional retirements and how the 2020 Democrats fared in the two-night debate in Detroit.

In our news wrap Thursday, the U.S. trade war with China has escalated further. President Trump announced that as of September 1, he will impose a new 10 percent tariff on about $300 billion of Chinese goods that hadn't already been taxed in prior tariffs. Also, explosions in the Yemeni city of Aden killed 51 people. The government there blamed the violence on Shiite rebels allied with Iran.

The Senate passed a new budget bill Thursday, delivering a rare bipartisan legislative agreement. But critics say the spending it allocates and its temporary suspension of the debt ceiling represent runaway spending and fiscal irresponsibility. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the huge numbers at play, who opposed the new budget and the different types of spending it reflects.

Night two of the Detroit Democratic debate may have opened with a handshake between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, but there was no shortage of attacks on either of them during the course of the evening. Judy Woodruff talks to Stuart Rothenberg of Inside Elections, Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and Karine Jean-Pierre of MoveOn.org for highlights and analysis.

President Trump's language about immigration and lawmakers of color has sparked a national conversation about racism and xenophobia. But every year, hundreds of thousands make their way to the U.S. and begin the rigorous process of becoming citizens. We talk to newly minted Americans at a Virginia naturalization ceremony about what the milestone means during this politically charged time.

Every day, guns are used to kill roughly 100 Americans and injure hundreds more. Chicago has been a particular locus of gun violence; this past weekend, 48 people were shot there -- eight fatally. Among the dead were two young mothers supporting a community organization that strives to stop violence. John Yang talks to Tamar Manasseh of Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings.

The first African slaves arrived in North America 400 years ago this month, landing at Jamestown in what's now Virginia. Recently, the idea of paying reparations for the atrocity of slavery has been earning new attention, even making its way into 2020 presidential debates. Economics correspondent Paul Solman examines the question of whether a debt might be owed to generations of slave descendants.

For Aml Ameen, entertaining was a passion from childhood. At his request, the English actor's father sent him to drama school for 10 years. But it was a chance encounter with movie star Idris Elba that opened a path to honoring his Jamaican heritage -- while further developing his career. Ameen shares his brief but spectacular take on finding his own identity while portraying a character.

The Federal Reserve cut a key short-term interest rate for the first time in a decade, lowering the federal funds rate a quarter point. It had raised that rate, which reflects what banks charge each other for loans, in December. But the news didn't satisfy Wall Street, where stocks fell significantly -- or President Trump. Judy Woodruff talks to the Brookings Institution's David Wessel.

In our news wrap Wednesday, U.S. and Chinese officials have concluded their latest trade talks without visible signs of progress. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called President Trump's Tuesday accusations that China had reneged on trade promises "laughable." Also, the U.S. Treasury Department announced financial sanctions against Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

During the first night of the Democratic debates in Detroit, the ideological rift within the crowded field was on full display. Moderates challenged progressives as being unrealistic, while the more liberal candidates said the party should embrace "big ideas." Amna Nawaz talks to Stuart Rothenberg of Inside Elections, Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and Karine Jean-Pierre of MoveOn.org.

Earlier this year, Gen. John Hyten was nominated by President Trump to become the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But he's been accused of sexual assault by one of his former assistants, Col. Kathryn Spletstoser, who reiterated her allegations Tuesday after some members of the Senate Armed Services Committee had dismissed them. Judy Woodruff sits down with Spletstoser to discuss.

The global water supply is constantly and increasingly threatened by climate change, overconsumption and poor management, among other forces. In an effort to bolster it, scientists around the world are leveraging familiar scientific principles with modern technology to capture water from the moisture in fog. John Yang reports on these innovative efforts to address the worsening water crisis.

North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles Tuesday, marking its second such launch within a week. The action comes as talks between the U.S. and North Korea are at a standstill, with no visible progress since a June promise to restart the stalled dialogue. Nick Schifrin asks Gen. Vincent Brooks about what the recent missile testing means for nuclear talks between the two nations.

Broadway director and producer Harold Prince died Wednesday at age 91. Prince won an astonishing, record-breaking 21 Tony Awards with shows that became household names -- and whose popularity still endures decades later. Judy Woodruff reports on a theater legend who wasn't satisfied with merely entertaining his audiences but aspired to "provoke conversation" even after the curtain fell.