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Articles by Steff Staples
WATCH LIVE: Illinois U.S. Senate candidates face off in forum to replace Durbin
In Illinois, Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Republican Don Tracy will participate in a forum on Tuesday as they bid to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. The forum begins at 9 p.m. EDT. Watch live from WTTW in the video player above. Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, announced last year that he wouldn't seek reelection, opening up the seat he has held for nearly three decades.
WATCH LIVE: Sullivan, Peltola face off in Alaska U.S. Senate debate
In Alaska, Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is set to face off against his Democratic challenger, former Rep. Mary Peltola, on Thursday as he bids for reelection. The debate begins at 11 p.m. EDT. Watch live from Alaska Public Media, in partnership with Alaska's News Source and KTOO, in the video player above. The race also features another Republican with the same first and last name as the incumbent.
WATCH LIVE: Rep. Begich faces challenger Hill in a debate for Alaska's at-large House seat
Republican Rep. Nick Begich will face off in a debate Wednesday in Alaska against independent challenger Bill Hill. The debate begins at 11 p.m. EDT. Watch live from Alaska Public Media, in partnership with Alaska's News Source and KTOO, in the video player above. Begich, who is seeking his second term in Congress, and Hill are the only candidates running for the state's at-large U.S. House seat to meet the 5% primary vote threshold to participate in the debate.
WATCH LIVE: Graham set to debate Senate challengers Andrews, Whitener in South Carolina
South Carolina Republican Sen. Darline Graham will face off in a debate Sunday against Democratic challenger Dr. Annie Andrews and Libertarian candidate Kasie Whitener. The debate begins at 7 p.m. EDT. Watch live from South Carolina ETV in the video player above. Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, became the GOP nominee in a special primary election following her brother's sudden death in July. President Donald Trump urged her to run for a full term after Gov.
WATCH: Trump dismisses concerns about AI risks at UN, says he won't rein it in
Politics Sep 22, 2026 1:11 PM EDT Editor's Note: This feed of the president's speech comes from the United Nations, which is an independent source separate from the White House or the White House press pool. PBS News is a paid subscriber to the White House press pool. We join our news media colleagues in objection to the White House barring CNN, MS Now and Politico. In support of free and fair journalistic access, we're not publishing video or still images provided by the administration.
PHOTOS: Americans mark 25th anniversary of 9/11
Nation Sep 11, 2026 3:48 PM EDT Americans gathered Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, remembering the victims and reflecting on the catastrophic attacks. READ MORE: Your guide to the 25th anniversary events happening at the 9/11 memorial sites Ceremonies were held at memorial sites in New York City, northern Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania, where people laid wreaths and flowers, held moments of silence and loved ones read the names of the victims.
TIMELAPSE: Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool refills with water after Trump paint job
travel news Now 7 New Reasons to Visit the National Mall This Summer AFAR Media - Madeline Weinfield • 41m From the long-awaited opening of the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft to new Smithsonian exhibitions, immersive history trails, and upgraded dining … New England 1 hour ago 9 Offbeat New England Towns To Visit worldatlas.com - Alisa Mala • 1h New England's best small towns wear their quirks out loud. Salem turns all of October into one long Halloween. In Peterborough, the country's first …
WATCH: Trump 'OK' with public Epstein survivor hearings
Politics Apr 16, 2026 6:01 PM EDT President Donald Trump said he is "OK" with survivors of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein having a public hearing. Watch the clip in the video player above. "I'm OK with it," he told PBS News' Liz Landers during a media availability outside the White House. "I think we've had a lot of public hearings.
WATCH: Leavitt says U.S. troops appreciate prayers after Pope Leo speaks out against waging war
Politics Mar 30, 2026 5:36 PM EDT Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday homily to criticize "those who wage war," as the war in Iran stretched into its fifth week. Watch a clip from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's press briefing in the video player above. "This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war," Leo said during Mass in St. Peter's Square.
What Iran's foreign minister told us about the next supreme leader, rising oil prices
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that talks with the United States may be off the table after the U.S. and Israel initiated a military operation against the country. In an interview with PBS News Hour co-anchor Amna Nawaz, Araghchi said he didn't think talking with Americans "would be on our agenda anymore." Araghchi cited last year's negotiations over Iran's nuclear capabilities that preceded the U.S. bombing three of Iran's nuclear sites in June.
WATCH: Trump says he will revoke church tax exempt status if leaders 'say something bad about' him
Politics Feb 5, 2026 6:30 PM EST President Donald Trump on Thursday falsely claimed he had eliminated a provision of the U.S. tax code that bans 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates. Watch the clip in the video player above. "People like me and like a lot of people, they want to hear ministers," Trump said. "They want to hear from priests. They want to hear from them.
WATCH: Trump says he will revoke church tax exempt status if leaders 'say something bad about' him
5 hours ago Listen and subscribe to The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcast. Before you make your next big business purchase, there’s a tax update you need to know… In a special segment from this week’s episode of The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore, featuring Vita Coco (COCO) Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Mike Kirban, Elizabeth takes a tax break to unpack major changes impacting business deductions.
WATCH: Nicki Minaj says she's Trump's No. 1 fan, won't let him be bullied
Politics Jan 28, 2026 1:57 PM EST Rapper Nicki Minaj claimed she is President Donald Trump's biggest fan at a U.S. Treasury event in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, saying she and his supporters will not let him be bullied. "I am probably the president's No. 1 fan, and that's not going to change, she said. "The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all.
WATCH: Nicki Minaj says she's Trump's No. 1 fan, won't let him be bullied
4 hours ago The acting head of U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA uploaded sensitive contracting documents marked “for official use only” to ChatGPT, according to Politico. The outlet, citing officials, reported Tuesday that CISA’s acting director, Madhu Gottumukkala, appointed by Trump, triggered multiple …
WATCH LIVE: Maine Gov. Janet Mills delivers 2026 State of the State address
Politics Jan 27, 2026 2:06 PM EST Maine Gov. Janet Mills will deliver her final State of the State address to a joint session of the state legislature in Augusta on Tuesday. Watch coverage of Mills' speech, courtesy of Maine Public, in the player above beginning at 7 p.m. EST. Mills, who made history as Maine's first woman governor in 2019, is expected to outline the progress her administration has made and the ongoing challenges still facing the state.
WATCH LIVE: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's address to state's General Assembly
In her first major speech since her inauguration, Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger will address both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond on Monday. VPM will be streaming the address, with coverage starting Monday at 3:47 p.m. EST. Watch it live in our video player above. Spanberger made history Saturday when she was sworn in as the state's first woman governor. Spanberger, a former CIA officer who served three terms in the U.S. House, defeated Republican Lt. Gov.
WATCH LIVE: Abigail Spanberger inaugurated as Virginia's first woman governor
History will be made in Virginia on Saturday as Abigail Spanberger is sworn in as the state's first woman governor. VPM will be streaming the inauguration ceremony, with coverage starting at 11:20 a.m. EST. Watch it live in our video player above. Spanberger will be inaugurated as the state's 75th governor at noon on the South Portico of Virginia's State Capitol in downtown Richmond. Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General-elect Jay Jones will also be sworn in.
WATCH: Hegseth says he ‘didn’t stick around’ after giving order for 1st boat strike on Sept. 2
Politics Dec 2, 2025 4:07 PM EST Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he learned about the second strike on an alleged drug boat on Sept. 2 hours after giving the order for the first strike. Watch the clip in the video player above. After the first strike, “I moved on to my next meeting,” Hegseth said. “A couple of hours later, I learned that that commander had made the [decision], which he had the complete authority to do, and, by the way, Adm.
WATCH: Trump says the word ‘affordability’ is a ‘con job’ by the Democrats
President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that the rising cost of living in the United States is a “fake narrative” that is being pushed by Democrats. Watch in the player above. “I inherited the worst inflation in history,” Trump said during his Cabinet meeting. “There was no affordability. Nobody could afford anything.
WATCH: ‘Are you stupid?’ Trump rebuffs reporter’s question on Afghan resettlement vetting
Politics Nov 28, 2025 2:54 PM EST President Donald Trump called a journalist “stupid” for attempting to fact-check his claim that the Biden administration didn’t vet Afghan nationals who came to the United States, related to the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington. Watch the clip in the video player above.
WATCH: ‘Are you stupid?’ Trump rebuffs reporter’s question on Afghan resettlement vetting
Trump to void all documents allegedly signed by Biden via autopen, threatens perjury charge President Donald Trump announced on Friday he is terminating all documents allegedly signed by former President Joe Biden with the autopen. In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed 92% of documents signed during Biden's presidency were done so with the device. "The Autopen is not allowed to be used if …
WATCH: Federal workers ‘should’ get back pay after shutdown, Johnson affirms
Politics Oct 8, 2025 2:06 PM EDT House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that furloughed federal workers “should be” paid back once the U.S. government reopens. Watch the clip in the video player above. “It has always been the case, that is tradition and I think it is statutory law, that federal employees be paid. And that’s my position. I think they should be,” Johnson told PBS News Hour’s Lisa Desjardins in a news conference.
WATCH: Trump ‘authentically himself’ for saying he hates opponents at Kirk funeral, White House says
Politics Sep 22, 2025 5:32 PM EDT White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested President Donald Trump’s recent comments about hating his opponents was an example of the president being “authentically himself.” Watch the clip in the video player above. While speaking at conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona on Sunday, Trump said he disagreed with Kirk on wanting the best for his opponents. “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie,” Trump said.
WATCH: Trump says Jimmy Kimmel ‘said a horrible thing’ about Charlie Kirk Original
Politics Sep 18, 2025 12:34 PM EDT President Donald Trump dismissed reactions to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show as an attack on free speech, saying the move was due to a “lack of talent.” “Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else, and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” Trump said during a news conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
WATCH: Lawmakers question Hegseth on his views about women in the military
Politics Jan 14, 2025 7:21 PM EST Multiple lawmakers grilled Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for his defense secretary, about his stance on women in the military during a confirmation hearing Tuesday held by the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
Who are Trump’s Cabinet picks? Here’s every name so far
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President-elect Donald Trump has assembled his core Cabinet, and the nominees share a common theme: loyalists. In the weeks since winning the election, the soon-to-be 47th president of the United States has announced who he wants in nearly every key role – a team to steer and execute his policies.
By Shyla Duff, Steff Staples, Dan Cooney Verified, Joshua Barajas Verified, Erica R. Hendry Verified, Molly Finnegan Verified
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PBS News Hour - Politics
PHOTOS: Memorable moments from the 2024 Paralympics Original
From historic wins to marriage proposals, this year’s Paralympic Games in Paris has been filled with golden moments. American Matt Stutzman, known as the “armless archer,” clinched his first Paralympic gold medal with his 149-147 win over China’s Ai Xinliang in the individual compound bow competition. With the win, Stutzman became the first athlete without arms to win a gold medal in para archery.
NewsHour viewers remember Robert MacNeil
Journalist Robert MacNeil, who co-founded the program that became the “PBS NewsHour,” died April 12 at the age of 93. After the success of their 1973 gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings, MacNeil and Jim Lehrer co-created a TV news show that became a mainstay on PBS. MacNeil stayed with the show, initially known as “The Robert MacNeil Report,” until 1995.
Appalachian Trail Experts Share Hiking Tips for Beginners
The public television show Travels with Darley recently filmed in Virginia and invited WCVE to tag along on their adventure. While show host Darley Newman is often seen exploring foreign towns, in an episode set to air spring of 2018, she is visiting destinations in and around Culpeper, Virginia. One “must do” travel spot includes taking in the view of Shenandoah Valley on top of Hawksbill Mountain.
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