April 24, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode

Russia pounded Kyiv overnight in one of its largest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since last summer. Officials there say nine people were killed and more than 70 others injured. It comes at a pivotal moment in the war. The U.S. proposed a peace deal Wednesday and has threatened to pull the plug on talks if both sides don’t reach an agreement soon. Laura Barrón-López reports.

In our news wrap Thursday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to allow the Pentagon to ban transgender service members as legal challenges play out, a federal judge has ordered the administration to bring back another man who was deported to El Salvador and the president insisted his administration is in active trade negotiations with China but Beijing has denied any such meetings.

Pressure is building on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Washington Post first reported and the News Hour confirmed that Hegseth had the unclassified messaging app Signal installed on a computer in his Pentagon office. All of this is unfolding as chaos is mounting at the Pentagon with the firings of top Hegseth aides. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Dan Lamothe of The Washington Post.

This week marks the end of Congress’s longest break from Washington since President Trump re-entered the White House. For most lawmakers, that has meant more time with constituents. And for some, aggressive questioning at town halls. Lisa Desjardins reports on the past week’s interactions.

Many conservatives want the FDA to impose tighter restrictions on mifepristone and misoprostol, which can be delivered by mail. The medication accounted for 63 percent of U.S. abortions in 2023. Amna Nawaz spoke with the new FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, about what the agency may do.

The central economic focus of President Trump's second term so far has been tariffs. Over the past few months, the president has levied - and also paused - taxes on imports from all over the world. Some have taken effect, including his tariffs on aluminum. Economics correspondent Paul Solman looks at those and what kind of impact they may have on manufacturers, workers and consumers.

Money for heating and cooling assistance for those in need is on the line. As part of the cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Trump administration reportedly fired the staff that runs the Low-Income Home Energy Program. Congress already approved funds for the program but with the staff gone, the allocated money is frozen. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Logan Atkinson Burke.

For decades, Catholic leaders in the U.S. have placed restrictions on certain reproductive health services at Catholic-run hospitals. But as abortion is becoming harder to access nationwide, there’s a new spotlight on care at these facilities. Special correspondent Sarah Varney traveled to Eureka, California, to meet one woman who ran into the limits of Catholic-run healthcare.

Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist at Harvard Medical School, has been detained by ICE since February. She was arrested as she returned to Boston with frog embryo samples. The government says she knowingly failed to declare them. Petrova's visa was revoked and she is flagged for deportation. Geoff Bennett spoke with her via video call from the facility where she’s held.