April 23, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode

During the campaign, Springfield, Ohio, became a flashpoint in the national conversation when Donald Trump and JD Vance amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants were abducting and eating pets. Months later, Springfield is reckoning with its turn in the spotlight as its Haitian migrants face the threat of deportation. Judy Woodruff visited the town for her series, America at a Crossroads.

A group of Democratic members of Congress traveled to Louisiana to visit Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk at federal detention facilities as both face potential removal from the U.S. The Trump administration claims they're each a threat to national security. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey.

It was a pivotal day of diplomacy and declarations for the future of the war in Ukraine, now mired in its fourth year. Ukrainian and American officials convened in London in what had been billed as a make-or-break meeting. Ukraine demanded a ceasefire before it would agree to any concessions, while President Trump aimed his fire at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Nick Schifrin reports.

If you think of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, you might conjure an image of Michelangelo’s famous ceiling. But what does that famous place, or any place, sound like? A new project timed to World Heritage Day asks us to experience the world through its sounds. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Elon Musk says he’ll scale back his time with DOGE and focus more of his time on Tesla. That announcement came as Tesla reported its net income plunged 71 percent and car sales revenue dropped 20 percent. Musk defended his federal cuts with President Trump and said he would still spend one or two days a week working for the administration. John Yang discussed more with Bobby Allyn of NPR.

A federal judge accused the Trump administration of trying to obstruct the truth about the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Judge Paula Xinis said the administration’s refusal to answer questions “reflects a willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations.” Addressing the case, President Trump said he wants to bypass due process. Laura Barrón-López reports.

In our news wrap Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said both the U.S. and China see high tariffs as unsustainable but dismissed reports U.S. would bring them down unilaterally, a dozen states have sued the Trump administration over its tariff policy and President Trump signed an executive order that will seek changes in the accreditation process for colleges and universities.

Thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square as Pope Francis' casket was brought for three days of viewing. The pontiff, who died Monday at age 88, will be celebrated this Saturday in an elaborate funeral mass. Mourners came from all corners of the world. Some were compelled by pilgrimage, others to witness a snapshot in time of the 2000-year-old Catholic Church. Malcolm Brabant reports from Rome.