PBS NewsHour - Segments

President Trump and the first lady have come and gone from Iraq, after a surprise post-Christmas visit to greet U.S. troops stationed there. The president spent about three hours on the ground, meeting with commanders and posing for photos with troops. He reiterated his belief that ISIS has been defeated and said “we are fighting in areas where we shouldn't be fighting.” Nick Schifrin reports.

After several days of major losses, the Dow Jones Industrial saw its largest single-day gain ever, more than 1,000 points, as the markets reopened after Christmas. Since not much has changed in terms of policy, what’s at the root of the volatility? Investment strategist Hugh Johnson joins William Brangham to discuss how the news affects stocks and the “troubling” impact of computerized trading.

In our Wednesday news wrap, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the jobs of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin are safe. President Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell, while Mnuchin has taken fire for comments that unsettled the stock market. Also, in Afghanistan, the presidential election scheduled for April has been postponed indefinitely.

President Trump traveled secretly to Iraq late on Christmas night. But he met with no Iraqi officials during the brief trip, prompting criticism from some Iraqi politicians. Laith Kubba, advisor to the Iraqi prime minister, and special correspondent Jane Ferguson join Nick Schifrin to discuss the visit's "optics," Iraq’s delicate political situation and the challenges of reconstruction.

Wednesday marked the first full business day of the partial government shutdown. Many affected employees had to work even though they will not receive pay on their normal schedule, while others who are furloughed had to drop off equipment they use for their jobs. For details on why negotiations are “at a standstill” and employee fears of not getting paid, William Brangham talks to Lisa Desjardins.

After a second immigrant child died in U.S. custody, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced that Coast Guard medical personnel would be deployed to screen people crossing the Mexico border. Yamiche Alcindor speaks with Dr. Colleen Kraft, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, about harmful conditions at migrant detention centers and the specific medical needs of children.

This year saw more appalling revelations about the Catholic Church and the behavior of many priests, exposing just how long some dioceses knew of and concealed sexual abuse. Judy Woodruff has the story, followed by a frank conversation with two abuse survivors and a professor and advocate for change in the church about how these developments affected them and their relationships with the faith.

It's been 50 years since NASA’s critical Apollo 8, in which a spacecraft first left Earth’s gravitational pull, orbited the moon and returned. The bold and risky mission paved the way for the moon landing seven months later, at a time when Cold War pressure weighed heavily on American space exploration. Jeffrey Brown has a look back at Apollo 8, also the focus of NOVA's "Apollo's Daring Mission."

Casey Gerald, author of our December pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This, joins Jeffrey Brown to answer reader questions on “There Will Be No Miracles Here,” and Jeff announces the January book selection.

In our Tuesday news wrap, the number of confirmed dead in Indonesia’s weekend tsunami has risen to 429. Search teams are combing through debris as harrowing stories emerge from survivors of the catastrophe, which struck with no warning. Also, in Afghanistan, the death toll from a prolonged attack on a Kabul government building has increased to 43.

From the Pope in the Vatican to Queen Elizabeth in London, Christmas celebrations across the globe sounded themes of understanding and compassion. Nick Schifrin takes a look at holiday rituals around the world, from the solemn to the silly.

President Trump's recent criticism of Jay Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, has prompted questions about whether the president might try to fire Powell. But does he have the legal authority to do so? New York Times correspondent Binyamin Appelbaum joins Nick Schifrin to discuss the need for an independent Federal Reserve and how these "uncharted waters" have unsettled financial markets.

Basra, in southern Iraq, contains much of the country’s oil wealth -- yet residents there are struggling just to survive. The city lacks basic services like clean water and reliable electricity, and jobs are rare. But people taking to the streets to protest what they see as government failures to provide say they've been brutally punished. Special correspondent Jane Ferguson reports.

Actor Kevin Spacey faces charges of indecent assault and battery of a then 18-year-old boy in 2016. He hadn't spoken publicly in over a year, but Monday released a YouTube video in which he appears as Frank Underwood, his "House of Cards" character. Nick Schifrin asks Alissa Wilkinson of Vox whether Spacey might be planning a comeback, as have other male celebrities accused of sexual assault.

Why do people have faith in what they cannot see? Author Elaine Pagels explores the concept of religious belief, and shares her own experience with finding faith in the face of tragedy, in her new book, “Why Religion?” Jeffrey Brown caught up with Pagels at this year’s Miami Book Fair.