PBS NewsHour - Segments

The American flag is one of the world's most recognizable symbols, but the responses it provokes are anything but uniform. A new museum exhibit in Arkansas explores how such a universal symbol can send so many different messages. Ali Rogin recently paid a visit for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A plea agreement that would have kept Hunter Biden out of prison for tax and gun charges was unexpectedly put on hold, adding new questions to an already politically divisive deal. GOP attacks on President Biden and his son will almost certainly ramp up in the aftermath, which left Hunter Biden's legal future unresolved. Laura Barrón-López discussed the developments with Glenn Thrush. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Wednesday, Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor has died at the age of 56, interest rates are headed higher again as the Federal Reserve resumes its fight with inflation, a jury in London acquitted actor Kevin Spacey on multiple charges of sexual assault and seven major car companies announced plans to build electric vehicle charging stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As heat waves roll across so much of the world, oceans are also heating up with surface temperatures breaking records. Off the coast of southern Florida, surface water temperatures have topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit, triggering a massive bleaching event of some coral reefs. William Brangham discussed what's happening with NOAA researcher Katey Lesneski. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Interest rates are headed higher again, as the Federal Reserve resumes its fight with inflation. That effort is almost a year and a half old now. At the same time, Fed Chair Jay Powell wants to tame inflation without tipping the economy into a recession. Economics correspondent Paul Solman breaks down the thinking behind the Fed's moves. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Biden has been hitting the road to sell his economic record, emphasizing pocketbook and consumer issues, including a new rule to crack down on insurers for inadequate coverage of mental health care. But his agenda also faces headwinds. William Brangham discussed some of those challenges with Neera Tanden, the White House domestic policy adviser. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This month, a Russian veto at the U.N. Security Council suspended humanitarian aid delivery to rebel-held northwest Syria. The Syrian regime declared all aid deliveries to rebel-held territories must now be coordinated through Damascus and not the U.N. As John Yang reports, more than four million Syrians, most of whom are internally displaced, have lost access to crucial humanitarian aid. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Israel's current political turmoil, driven by the most far-right government in that nation's history, has renewed the debate over America's financial assistance to that country. The U.S. has been a supporter of Israel since its creation in 1948. William Brangham discussed the calls to change that with Daniel Kurtzer and Dennis Ross. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In the new book "American Whitelash," Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery examines the pattern of racist violence that follows racial progress in our country, including the recent white supremacist violence that surged following Barack Obama's presidency. Wesley sat down with Geoff Bennett to discuss his findings. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A new analysis finds the brutal heat waves the world has experienced over the past month would be virtually impossible without the impact of human-caused climate change. It comes from an international group of researchers that are part of an initiative known as the World Weather Attribution. William Brangham discussed the assessment with meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky of Climate Central. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Tuesday, wildfires raged on across southern Greece and the tragedy deepened when a tanker plane crashed and killed two pilots, backlash in Israel grew over the vote to weaken the country's supreme court, Russia rejected new calls from the United Nations to reinstate the Black Sea grain deal and UPS reached a tentative deal with the Teamsters likely averting a crippling strike. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Several legal fights are brewing over migration across the U.S.-Mexico border. A federal judge blocked the Biden administration's attempt to limit asylum seekers after several immigrant-rights groups argued the policy was unfair, and the Department of Justice sued Texas for putting floating barriers on the Rio Grande to deter people from crossing. William Brangham discusses more with Uriel Garcia. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The fighting and dying continue along the 900-mile-long frontline in eastern and southern Ukraine. Russia has put up resistance to the Ukrainian counteroffensive with minefields, heavy artillery and rocket barrages slowing progress. Special correspondent Jack Hewson and filmmaker Ed Ram report with support from the Pulitzer Center. A warning: the accounts and images in this story are disturbing. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A new national monument dedicated to the murdered teenager Emmett Till and his mother honors three sites critical to Till's story, and central to the birth of America's civil rights movement. The announcement comes in the middle of a heated debate over how best to teach children about race and American history. Laura Barrón-López reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In the crowded race for the Republican presidential nomination, there are governors, a senator and even a former president. Then there's Vivek Ramaswamy, a first-time candidate who has spent millions of his own money to capture the attention of GOP voters and he's polling higher than many of his competitors who have more political experience. Ramaswamy discussed his campaign with Lisa Desjardins. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders