PBS NewsHour - Segments

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including a stalemate between Congress and the president over COVID relief, the latest pardons from President Donald Trump and what they learned this week about how the Biden administration is preparing for office. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As many Americans adjust to a drastically different Christmas holiday, we remember some of the more than 326,000 people who have died from the coronavirus this year. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, called the mother of blues, helped expand the universe of American music. Director George C. Wolfe talks to Jeffrey Brown about the new film about her life, based on the play by August Wilson, and how it celebrates the legacy of three great American artists: Rainey, Wilson and Chadwick Boseman, who starred in the film before his death earlier this year. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Many Americans are spending Christmas away from family for the first time because of COVID-19. But for immigrants, author Nadia Owusu says, being geographically distant from family "is a constant reality." In this essay, she talks about the lessons immigrants can give on nurturing relationships from a distance, and why not traveling for the holiday doesn't have to mean being alone. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This Christmas, we end our broadcast with a NewsHour tradition we cherish. At this time of year, we work with the U.S. Department of Defense to have service members around the globe sing a holiday song. Here is a look back at one of our favorites from 2018. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This Christmas Eve has been anything but quiet in Washington after President Trump's surprise announcement that he doesn't support a new COVID relief bill. And last night, the president added 29 pardons and commutations, with many familiar names on the list. William Brangham spoke with Andrew Weissmann, former lead prosecutor in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Following nine months of tense negotiations, Britain and the European unions have at last hammered out a post-Brexit trade deal. The agreement averts a chaotic and costly breakup. Amna Nawaz spoke with Robin Niblett, director of the British think tank Chatham House, to learn more on the breakthrough. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Thursday, the COVID-19 death toll topped 327,000 as California becomes the first state to surpass 2 million infections, a powerful winter storm barrels toward the East Coast, Ethiopian forces killed 42 armed men accused of massacring a village, at least 20 African migrants trying to reach Europe have died off the coast of Tunisia, and a Christmas Eve celebration amid the pandemic. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The economic impact of the coronavirus has been felt far and wide across the country. But how has the pandemic impacted charitable giving and philanthropic donations throughout this year? And what are the challenges ahead for not-for-profits? Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

2020 has been a year unlike any within living memory, and one that exposed some of America's deepest divides. Judy Woodruff spoke with emergency medical physician Dr. Uche Blackstock, Eddie Glaude, of Princeton University, New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore, and Yuval Levin, editor of National Affairs magazine, to discuss the pandemic, America's race problem, and the country's leadership. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With the pandemic raging and the nation's economy teetering, now might seem like a curious time to start a business. But is it? Paul Solman asks the question, and answers it. Transcript: PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For many Americans, 2020 has been a long, difficult year. But this holiday season, one video is spreading joy and warming hearts for millions of its viewers. Stephanie Sy explains. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Each year we've asked the Department of Defense to spread a little holiday cheer and record service members singing a Christmas song. This year, members from across the services performed "Little Drummer Boy." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As the nation nears 325,000 total deaths, millions of Americans are feeling the economic impact of the pandemic. The Department of Labor on Wednesday reported 803,000 new jobless claims last week, and up to 14 million people could soon lose unemployment benefits unless President Trump signs the COVID relief bill passed by Congress. POLITICO's Anna Palmer joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump late Tuesday announced a flood of pardons and commutations for three former Republican members of Congress and two others who pleaded guilty in the Russian probe. Trump's latest round of executive clemency was a nearly 50 percent increase from the number he granted in the previous four years. William Brangham reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders