December 19, 2024 - PBS News Hour full episode

This week, we are reporting on some promising treatments for two of the deadliest drugs in America: opioids and alcohol. William Brangham sat down with one of the nation’s leading researchers who is studying America’s addictions and how we can better address them.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to bird flu that's spreading among the state's dairy cows. The virus has already caused the deaths of more than 120 million birds across the country since 2022. Stephanie Sy reports on efforts in Colorado to keep the dairy workforce safe.

In France, a panel of judges found dozens of men guilty of raping a woman whose then-husband had drugged her unconscious over a decade. The scale and brutality of the abuse prompted thousands to take to the streets and sparked a nationwide conversation about consent. Ali Rogin discussed more with Catherine Porter of The New York Times. A warning: the following conversation is graphic.

Donald Trump is following through on threats of legal action against the media. After ABC agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump, his legal team filed a suit against Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register for a poll showing Kamala Harris leading. Trump's suit called the poll “election-interfering fiction.” Geoff Bennett discussed more with Clay Calvert.

A Georgia appeals court has disqualified the top prosecutor overseeing an election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump and his allies, a decision that could upend the case. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified because she had a romantic relationship with an attorney she hired to help run the investigation. William Brangham reports.

In our news wrap Thursday, Russian President Putin reaffirmed his commitment to continuing the war in Ukraine, Luigi Mangione returned to New York as he faces additional federal murder charges and the 15-year-old girl who shot and killed two people at her school in Wisconsin had been in contact with a man in California who was plotting a shooting at a government building, authorities say.

Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina is retiring after 20 years in Congress. He has the distinction of being the only person to serve as speaker pro tempore of the House, a job that was forced on him for three chaotic weeks after the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy a year ago. Lisa Desjardins sat down with Rep. McHenry to discuss his time in office and the current state of Capitol Hill.

House Republicans are pushing a new proposal tonight to avoid a government shutdown in an effort to meet President-elect Trump’s last-minute spending demands. It's all unfolding after Trump rejected the original bill earlier this week with billionaire Elon Musk leading the charge against it online. Lisa Desjardins reports.