PBS NewsHour - Segments

The death of Sen. John McCain, has brought recognition and mourning from all corners of American political life. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Jeff Greenfield points to a contrast between McCain’s close relationships with people on both sides of the political aisle and a current, divisive political environment. He joins Hari Sreenivasan for more on McCain's legacy.

While Serena and Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys continue to represent America at the world’s top tennis tournaments, the men’s side has not seen a Grand Slam winner since Andy Roddick in 2003. Katrina Adams, the U.S. Tennis Association’s first-ever black president, told NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker that bringing more communities into the game should change that. This is part of an ongoing series of reports called “Chasing the Dream,” which reports on poverty and opportunity in America.

The first papal visit to Ireland in almost 40 years was marked by protests over the sexual abuse of children by clergy. In his address to the deeply Catholic country, Pope Francis acknowledged that Church authorities failed to “adequately address these repugnant crimes” and said that the “outrage” was justified. Belfast-based journalist Amanda Ferguson joins Hari Sreenivasan for more.

Population growth and climate change could in the coming years bring water shortages along the Rio Grande river, a source of drinking water and agriculture for U.S. and Mexico. “Shallow Waters,” a nine-part series by Quartz and the Texas Observer, looked at the potential impacts of water scarcity in the region. Quartz’s Zoë Schlanger joins Hari Sreenivasan for more.

At the Ocean Memory Lab, part of California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium, scientists are undertaking a study of the world’s oceans and marine life before plastic and chemical pollutants were introduced to the water. By studying the feeding habits of seabirds over the course of almost 130 years, they hope to learn how the ocean has changed during that time. Ivette Feliciano reports.

In our news wrap Friday, the family of Arizona senator John McCain announced that he is ending treatment for his aggressive form of brain cancer. Also, President Trump postponed an upcoming visit to North Korea by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, declaring on Twitter a lack of “sufficient progress” with Korean denuclearization, and Hurricane Lane inundated Hawaii with heavy rains and strong surf.

In exchange for immunity, the Trump Organization's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, will reportedly talk to investigators about the reimbursements he helped arrange to Michael Cohen. Judy Woodruff gets analysis from Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor experienced in trying white-collar crime, and Caleb Melby, who covers business and the Trump Organization for Bloomberg News.

In Yemen, a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015, with U.S. support. Today, carnage from the conflict is worsening, and both the Houthis and the UN blame the coalition for dozens of civilian casualties. Nick Schifrin talks with Human Rights Watch's Kristine Beckerle, one of the lead authors of a new report that criticizes the coalition's conduct as "unlawful."

It’s been a dramatic week for President Trump and some of his former associates. New York Times columnist David Brooks and Ezra Klein from Vox join Judy Woodruff to discuss the president's legal and moral standing, emerging patterns among the circle of Trump intimates, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the rule of law and the final episodes of 'great man' John McCain.

A remote area of the Pacific Northwest might not sound like a top theater destination. But as Jeffrey Brown reports, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival has sparked a wave of creative and economic growth in rural Ashland. One of the country’s most important regional theater companies, OSF is acclaimed for provocative show content, community engagement and unusually diverse casting.

Despite the advantages they offer in terms of leveraging renewable resources, solar farms also bring with them special challenges. Among these is controlling vegetation growth around the panels--essential for ensuring a consistent, stable power source, but a laborious and time-consuming task. While some facilities use traditional or automated lawn mowers, others are taking a four-legged approach.

President Trump today reiterated his belief that he is not implicated by the guilty pleas of his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. The president expressed frustration that he should be associated with Cohen’s crimes, saying they were “totally unrelated to the campaign.” Also, another longtime Trump friend is reportedly preparing to share additional information about the hush money payments Cohen made.

In our news wrap Thursday, National Security Adviser John Bolton raised election interference at a Geneva meeting with his Russian counterpart but was unable to agree on the issue. Meanwhile, Google announced it identified a misinformation campaign connected to Iranian state media, and what the Democratic National Committee thought was a hacking attempt turned out to be a security test.

In just 12 days, President Trump's Supreme Court pick will face contentious hearings before the U.S. Senate. Where does nominee Brett Kavanaugh stand on key issues? Lisa Desjardins and CNN Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic join Judy Woodruff to analyze Kavanaugh’s judicial record and recent statements on the politically charged topic of abortion, including whether Roe v. Wade is 'settled law.'

The tragic killing of a young woman in Iowa might have been just another homicide, but it attracted widespread national attention when a Mexican immigrant, in the U.S. illegally, was charged with her murder. William Brangham reports on how the case of Mollie Tibbetts has been seized upon by President Trump and his party as representing the treacherous threat of illegal immigration.