Trusted. Valued. Essential.

WETA is your public media station. We are dedicated to educating, informing and celebrating our DC area community.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.

Headlines from PBS News

  • Image
    FILE PHOTO: A cargo ship full of shipping containers is seen at the port of Oakland, California

    Why Trump softened some of his tariffs on the automotive industry

    4/29/2025 - 6:55 pm

    President Trump signed an executive order aimed at softening the blow his tariffs have imposed on the automotive industry and U.S. manufacturers. But tensions with China remain high and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a video saying it would not back down from the trade war with the U.S. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Gavin Badeof The Wall Street Journal.

  • Image
    U.S. President Donald Trump reacts at the White House

    Where Trump's approval rating stands after 100 days in office

    4/29/2025 - 6:50 pm

    It has been 100 days since President Trump was inaugurated for his second term in office. The mark is a modern measuring point for administrations and few have seen more action in the first three months than in this White House. But how are the American people taking it in? Lisa Desjardins has insights from the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll.

  • Image
    FILE PHOTO: View of Harvard University

    News Wrap: Harvard announces review after antisemitism and Islamophobia reports

    4/29/2025 - 6:45 pm

    In our news wrap Tuesday, Harvard announced it will review academic offerings and policies in response to internal reports about antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus, the Senate confirmed David Perdue as the U.S. ambassador to China and the Trump administration dismissed many of former president Biden's nominees to the board that oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

  • Image
    Canada holds a snap election

    How Mark Carney led Canada's Liberal Party to an election win

    4/29/2025 - 6:40 pm

    Canada's Liberal Party secured a fourth consecutive term after a narrow win in an election that was seen as one of the most consequential in its recent history. Prime Minister Mark Carney flipped his party's fortunes with a campaign focused on combating President Trump's tariffs and threats of annexation. Nick Schifrin discussed the result with Shachi Kurl of the Angus Reid Institute.

  • Image
    Members of the House Hispanic Conference hold a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington

    GOP Rep. Salazar calls for pathway to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants

    4/29/2025 - 6:35 pm

    As new stories of migrants deported without due process garner fresh headlines, the Trump administration continues to defend its actions in court. But there's little to no apparent momentum for immigration reform on Capitol Hill. GOP Rep. Maria Salazar of Miami is one of the loudest voices for reshaping immigration law on either side of the aisle and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss more.

New Videos

Episode 6: Light: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Episode 6: Light

Wolf Hall

Fortune’s wheel turns as Cromwell finally finds himself in Henry’s crosshairs. Charged with treason and feeling the axe’s edge, only a masterstroke of political maneuvering can save him from the scaffold now.

Episode 5: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Episode 5

Call the Midwife

On her rounds, Sister Julienne visits a pregnant woman living in an abandoned warehouse with visible bruises who refuses an examination. Meanwhile, the Nonnatus team cares for a man confined to an iron lung after being paralyzed by polio.

Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On

Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On

Amid rising antisemitism around the world and 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Simon Schama traces the historical road of horror that culminated in the death camps. From Lithuania to Poland, the Netherlands and, finally, Auschwitz, Schama confronts the enormity of the Holocaust as both historian and 80-year-old Jew, to understand how it happened and in the hopes of never again.

Hated, Humbled, Mortified: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Hated, Humbled, Mortified

Marie Antoinette

When Rohan and Jeanne are brought to public trial, events spiral beyond Marie Antoinette and Louis’s control. In defending her reputation, Marie Antoinette unwittingly destroys it and delivers a fatal blow to Louis’s political authority.

Now Hear This "Rachmaninoff Reborn": asset-mezzanine-16x9

Now Hear This "Rachmaninoff Reborn"

Great Performances

Follow Rachmaninoff’s journey from a Russian aristocrat to an American artist after the Bolshevik revolution. Forced to rebuild at 44, he embraced modern technology, toured extensively and reinvented his career while longing for his lost homeland.

WE WANT THE FUNK!: asset-mezzanine-16x9

WE WANT THE FUNK!

Independent Lens

WE WANT THE FUNK! is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.

Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse

American Masters

Explore the work of cartoonist Art Spiegelman and the impact of his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus, about his parents’ survival of the Holocaust. A defender of free speech, Spiegelman has spoken out as book bans spread across the country.

Finding My Roots: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Finding My Roots

Finding Your Roots

In a unique and highly emotional episode, actor Laurence Fishburne is joined by scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr.—who finds himself a guest on his own show for the first time. Both men have been haunted by profound family mysteries for years. Cutting-edge DNA detective work will solve those mysteries—introducing Laurence and Henry to ancestors whose names they have longed to hear.

Signature Drinks: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Signature Drinks

Signature Dish

Seth stirs things up with signature drinks! He first heads to Virginia’s wine country to visit Delaplane’s Barrel Oak Winery, where he samples a glass of aged Norton wine. Next, he sips on the Queen Bee’s Knees cocktail, made with genever gin, at Tenth Ward Distilling Company in Frederick, MD. And he wraps at Hyattsville, MD's Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. for a pint of the Fancy Nancy hazy IPA.

WETA Arts April 2025: asset-mezzanine-16x9

WETA Arts April 2025

WETA Arts

This month on WETA Arts, learn about the resilience of the D.C. theater community. First, visit Rorschach Theatre, which has been surprising audiences with performances in unusual locations since 1999. Also, host Felicia Curry takes viewers behind the scenes of her own life as a local performer as she prepares for a cabaret performance.

Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years honors the fifty year-legacy of the longest-running music television series in history with live performances by diverse artists, vintage archival clips, interviews, and a special tribute from Dolly Parton.

Revolutionary War Weapons: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Revolutionary War Weapons

NOVA

How did a ragtag army defeat the most powerful army in the world to win American independence? Discover the key military technologies that helped propel the colonies to victory, from the Brown Bess musket to the world’s first military submarine.

Decision Day: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Decision Day

The Class

It’s two weeks until Decision Day, and Kadynce is still undecided. Javonte makes a surprise announcement. Raven gets unexpected news, and Ebei plans her last ASB event. Mr. Cam works with Emily and Ahmad to get them across the finish line, and an unprecedented senior year culminates with one final celebration and send-off for the Deer Valley High School Class of 2021.

Water For Life: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Water For Life

Water For Life

Meet three Latin American community leaders who risked their lives to resist government and corporate plans to divert critical local water resources to mining and hydroelectric projects. Narrated by Diego Luna.

The Corridors of Power: asset-mezzanine-16x9

The Corridors of Power

The Corridors of Power

What happens in the White House when reports of arrive of foreign leaders murdering their own people en masse? "The Corridors of Power" investigates this over the past 40 years from Iraq to Syria and Bosnia to Kosovo, how did US policy leave millions to die and how did it influence World Politics today?

LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story: asset-mezzanine-16x9

LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

American Masters

Take an intimate look into the life of Liza Minnelli, best known for her Oscar-winning role in Cabaret. Following in the footsteps of her mother Judy Garland, Minnelli used her boundless raw talent to build her own legacy in showbiz.

Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act

American Experience

The emotional and dramatic story of the decades-long push for equality and accessibility that culminated in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. A story of courage and perseverance, the film highlights the determined people who literally put their bodies on the line to achieve their goal and change the lives of all Americans. From AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages

FRONTLINE

A look inside Alaska Native villages fighting for survival against climate change. With the Howard Center at ASU, FRONTLINE examines why communities are relocating and why they're struggling to preserve their traditions.

Moving soon to WETA Passport

Museum Alive with David Attenborough: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Museum Alive with David Attenborough

Nature

Sir David Attenborough explores London’s Natural History Museum and meets some of the most extraordinary creatures from the past. Advanced CGI puts Attenborough face to face with a saber-toothed tiger, a giant eagle, and a colossal snake.

Purgatory | Katavi: Africa's Fallen Paradise: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Purgatory | Katavi: Africa's Fallen Paradise

Nature

The dry season is developing into a severe drought that is more intense than anything Katavi National Park has witnessed before. The young animals attempt to understand their rapidly changing world while the experienced adults rely on their years of knowledge to survive.

Weathered: Inside the LA Firestorm: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Weathered: Inside the LA Firestorm

Weathered

The 2025 LA Wildfires set a record as one of the most expensive and destructive in US history. As environmental shifts accelerate extreme fire conditions and communities expand into fire-prone landscapes, these devastating wildfires are becoming more common. But are they inevitable?

Boundary Stones: D.C. Area History Shorts

How Fairfax County Second Graders Made Medical History in the Fight Against Polio: asset-mezzanine-16x9

How Fairfax County Second Graders Made Medical History in the Fight Against Polio

Boundary Stones

On April 26, 1954, second graders at Franklin Sherman Elementary in McLean, Virginia kicked off the nationwide trials of Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine. Called the biggest medical experiment in U.S. History, the much-publicized trials were a turning point in the fight against a disease that had terrified families for decades.

Smokey Bear Was a Real Bear Who Had His Own Zipcode in Washington, DC: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Smokey Bear Was a Real Bear Who Had His Own Zipcode in Washington, DC

Boundary Stones

In 1950, an orphaned bear cub was rescued from a wildfire in New Mexico and brought to Washington to live at the National Zoo. Named "Smokey" after the popular Forest Service character, the cub became a real life advocate for fire prevention and got so much fan mail that the U.S. Postal Service gave him his own private D.C. zipcode.

When the President Commuted to the Oval Office from Alexandria, VA: asset-mezzanine-16x9

When the President Commuted to the Oval Office from Alexandria, VA

Boundary Stones

After Richard Nixon resigned during the Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford found himself in uncharted territory. When Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, the White House was not yet ready for him. So, for the first 10 days of his Presidency, Ford commuted to the Oval Office and his suburban neighborhood home in Alexandria, Virginia became the unlikely epicenter of American politics.

A Black Arlington Neighborhood was Destroyed to Build the Pentagon: asset-mezzanine-16x9

A Black Arlington Neighborhood was Destroyed to Build the Pentagon

Boundary Stones

In 1941, the U.S. was preparing for World War II. Residents of Queen City, a tight-knit Black neighborhood in Arlington, watched in awe as nearly 15,000 workers erected the Pentagon on a plot of federally-owned land next to their community. Some had enlisted, while others worked for the federal government. But then the government came for their shops, their churches and even their homes.

Did the Hope Diamond Curse a Washington, D.C. Family?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Did the Hope Diamond Curse a Washington, D.C. Family?

Boundary Stones

According to legend, the Hope Diamond has a centuries-old curse and brings disaster to everyone who possesses it. But that didn't deter Washington, D.C. socialites Evalyn Walsh McLean and her husband Ned. After they bought the diamond from the Cartier Jewelry Company in 1911, Evalyn proclaimed, "Bad luck objects, for me, are lucky." For the next 36 years, fate would test that theory.

The 1939 Alexandria Library Sit In Opened a New Front in the Civil Rights Movement: asset-mezzanine-16x9

The 1939 Alexandria Library Sit In Opened a New Front in the Civil Rights Movement

Boundary Stones

On the morning of August 21, 1939 five young African American men entered the segregated public library in Alexandria, Virginia and asked for library card applications. They were denied and sat down to read in silence. When the police arrived to arrest the protesters, it touched off a legal fight — and demonstrated the power of a new tactic to defeat Jim Crow.

St. Elizabeths Hospital Tested a Piece of Mussolini’s Brain for Dementia. Then, They Lost It: asset-mezzanine-16x9

St. Elizabeths Hospital Tested a Piece of Mussolini’s Brain for Dementia. Then, They Lost It

Boundary Stones

After Benito Mussolini’s execution in 1945, American psychiatrist Dr. Winfred Overholser of St. Elizabeth’s psychiatric hospital had a hunch that some medical condition might have to been to blame for the dictator’s extreme behavior. So he had samples of his brain sent to Washington, D.C., so that he could examine them. And then, one of the samples went missing.

When Mobsters Kidnapped D.C.’s Godfather of Gambling: asset-mezzanine-16x9

When Mobsters Kidnapped D.C.’s Godfather of Gambling

Boundary Stones

In the 1930s, Jimmy “The Gentleman Gambler” Lafontaine made millions running the largest casino between New York and Florida from the D.C./Maryland line, despite the fact that gambling was completely illegal. But the city loved him, the police were in his pocket and business was booming — until the mob wanted in on the action.

He Sold Booze To the Powerful During Prohibition — and Then Exposed Them: asset-mezzanine-16x9

He Sold Booze To the Powerful During Prohibition — and Then Exposed Them

Boundary Stones

George Cassiday, an unemployed army veteran from Southeast Washington, D.C. known as "The Man in the Green Hat," kept spirits flowing on Capitol Hill for 10 years. Despite the 18th amendment, he filled 25 orders per day for hard-drinking representatives and even had an office in the House Office building. But after he got in trouble with the D.C. police, Cassiday decided to expose his customers.

“The Exorcist” was Based on an Actual Maryland Exorcism. Here’s what REALLY Happened: asset-mezzanine-16x9

“The Exorcist” was Based on an Actual Maryland Exorcism. Here’s what REALLY Happened

Boundary Stones

Did you know that “The Exorcist,” one of the most famous horror movies of all time, was based on a real DC-area exorcism? The 1949 exorcism allegedly took place in PG, Maryland, and inspired “The Exorcist” author and producer William Peter Blatty while he was a student at Georgetown University. But some of the details in this famous case of demonic possession don't add up.

A Sting Operation Used the “Mafia” to Fight Crime in D.C. Did it Work?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

A Sting Operation Used the “Mafia” to Fight Crime in D.C. Did it Work?

Boundary Stones

In 1976 D.C. police dressed as caricatures of Italian mafisosos and bought millions in stolen goods from local thieves. They called it "Operation Sting," and soon police across the country were launching "sting operations" of their own. But not everyone was so enamored with the tactic, especially the communities it was being used to target.

Fired for Being Gay, Frank Kameny Ran for Congress: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Fired for Being Gay, Frank Kameny Ran for Congress

Boundary Stones

When Frank Kameny was fired from his job with Army Map Service in 1957 because he was accused of being homosexual, he could've gone quietly. Instead, he fought back, founding LGTBQ rights organizations and launching a longshot campaign for Congress in 1971.

The D.C. Nine: The Catholics Who Became Convicts to Stop the Vietnam War: asset-mezzanine-16x9

The D.C. Nine: The Catholics Who Became Convicts to Stop the Vietnam War

Boundary Stones

On March 22, 1969, a group made up mostly of Catholic priests, nuns and seminarians broke into the Washington office of Dow Chemical Company, a company then synonymous with the production of napalm. What the activists did next — and the criminal trial that followed — created a firestorm of controversy, raising questions about the Church, the war effort, and the limits of non-violent protest.

A “One Man Crime Wave” Came to a Stunning End in 1980... It's Impacts Remain: asset-mezzanine-16x9

A “One Man Crime Wave” Came to a Stunning End in 1980... It's Impacts Remain

Boundary Stones

On December 5, 1980, renowned Washington, D.C. cardiologist Dr. Michael Halberstam was shot during a burglary at his home. Bleeding heavily, the doctor jumped in his car and ran over his assailant while driving himself to Sibley Hospital, where he died. The odd chain of events was just the tip of the iceberg in one of the strangest true crime stories in D.C. history.

Meet the D.C. Woman Who Lived In a Glass House Atop Anacostia's Big Chair: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Meet the D.C. Woman Who Lived In a Glass House Atop Anacostia's Big Chair

Boundary Stones

In the late 1950s, D.C.'s Curtis Brothers Furniture Store partnered with Bassett Furniture, which built the World's Largest Chair – a 19.5 foot tall, 4600 pound Duncan Phyfe -- and installed it outside their showroom in Anacostia. Then, they built a glass apartment atop the chair and convinced 19-year-old Lynn Arnold to live there in plain view, 24-7.

Thomas Jefferson’s 1235-Pound Religious Freedom Cheese: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Thomas Jefferson’s 1235-Pound Religious Freedom Cheese

Boundary Stones

If you lived in Washington, DC on New Years Day of 1802, you may have noticed a giant wheel of cheese arriving at the White House — a gift to President Thomas Jefferson from a Massachusetts church. But this enormous cheese hadn't traveled hundreds of miles for purely celebratory reasons; no, this cheese had a message about religious freedom in the United States.

How Mary Church Terrell Beat Jim Crow in D.C. Restaurants: asset-mezzanine-16x9

How Mary Church Terrell Beat Jim Crow in D.C. Restaurants

Boundary Stones

In the 1940s, civil rights activists discovered that the key to ending segregation in D.C.’s restaurants might be hiding in plain sight at the library. Civil Rights researchers discovered two old D.C. laws which made it a crime for restaurants to refuse service based on race. As Jim Crow tightened its grip, the laws had faded from memory but Mary Church Terrell was determined to bring them back.

100 Years Ago, a D.C. Physician Launched the First Anthrax Attack on the U.S. from His Basement: asset-mezzanine-16x9

100 Years Ago, a D.C. Physician Launched the First Anthrax Attack on the U.S. from His Basement

Boundary Stones

Uncover the shocking story of Dr. Anton Dilger, a D.C. physician who secretly waged germ warfare on American soil during World War I. From his home in Chevy Chase, Dr. Dilger cultivated deadly bacteria and passed vials of germs to German operatives who used them to poison horses and mules bound for battlefields in Europe. It was the first instance of modern biological warfare.

Koreagate: Tongsun Park’s Cash Bribes and Congressional Corruption: asset-mezzanine-16x9

Koreagate: Tongsun Park’s Cash Bribes and Congressional Corruption

Boundary Stones

Tongsun Park operated one of the most exclusive Washington social clubs of the 1960s and 70s, rubbing shoulders with generals, members of Congress, even US presidents. All the while, he was on the payroll of a Korean spy agency, giving millions of dollars in gifts to elected officials. Park was charged with multiple felonies, the House opened up a massive investigation and then... nothing.

Classical Score

The WETA Classical blog brings you the latest in classical music news, must-hear events around town, and lifestyle stories to accompany your love for classical music. Check back often for new posts from your favorite on-air hosts and the WETA Classical team!

Popular Shows

Poster Image
NOVA: show-poster2x3

NOVA

Science and Nature

Poster Image
Nature: show-poster2x3

Nature

Science and Nature

Black History

WETA Passport Exclusives

The Ken Burns Collection

Poster Image
Jazz: show-poster2x3

Jazz

Arts and Music

PBS Student Reporting Labs journalists in front of Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Community Impact

Since 1961 WETA has been a trusted partner in the D.C. community — a local touchstone for free, quality educational programming and activities. 

Boundary Stones Logo

Boundary Stones

Boundary Stones spotlights local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia, uncovering compelling stories that have shaped or impacted our community over the years.

Around Town Best Bets

Around Town: Best Bets

Every week, WETA critics are bringing you the must-see arts in and around DC: Our best bets in film, theater, museums, and more!

WETA Metro PBS logo

WETA Metro Livestream

Featuring PBS favorites with local flair, WETA Metro provides an additional public television resource for viewers in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

WETA UK logo

WETA UK Livestream

British television at its best, around the clock, seven days a week. Watch live now!

Telly Visions

Telly Visions

Telly Visions is your British television and culture destination. Stop by for all the latest news on your favorite British dramas, mysteries and comedies — along with episode recaps, actor profiles, and more!

Local Productions