December 3, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode

At the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, a new children’s library inside the visitors’ center is giving kids a place to read and learn during the often long waits to see their loved ones. Tonight, a grandmother and her 10-year-old grandson share their Brief But Spectacular take on connecting through reading.

One year ago, Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire that was supposed to end a war between the militant group Hezbollah and Israel, a war that left more than 4,000 Lebanese and more than 100 Israelis dead. But with near-daily Israeli attacks still taking place, life for civilians in Lebanon's south remains dangerous. Special Correspondent Simona Foltyn reports from that tense border.

President Trump announced he is pardoning Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, who were indicted last year on bribery and money laundering charges. It’s the latest in a series of controversial pardons Trump has signed. White House Correspondent Liz Landers discussed more with Liz Oyer, who served as the Department of Justice pardon attorney in the Biden administration.

New limits on student loans could reshape how the U.S. trains nurses and doctors. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, medical students would be capped at borrowing $50,000 per year. The Trump administration is now proposing a stricter cap for graduate degrees in nursing, public health or social work. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Jennifer Mensik Kennedy of the American Nurses Association.

Congress is facing a lengthy “to-do” list from budgets and health care to foreign affairs — all while leaders contend with growing frustration and even open rebellion within their ranks. Lisa Desjardins reports.

In our news wrap Wednesday, Israel received remains believed to be those of one of the last two hostages still in Gaza, President Trump proposed rolling back fuel efficiency standards set by the Biden administration and a dozen former FDA commissioners say they're "deeply concerned" about proposed changes that would create a far stricter process for vaccine approvals.

The Department of Homeland Security confirms it started a sweeping immigration crackdown in New Orleans. The News Hour confirmed that Border Patrol, not Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is primarily running the New Orleans operation. White House correspondent Liz Landers reports on how the president’s immigration crackdown is being carried out.

A Pentagon watchdog report has found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. service members at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to discuss a military strike in Yemen earlier this year. His use of Signal came to light when a journalist was accidentally added to a chat that gave sensitive, real-time updates about a strike against Houthi militants. Nick Schifrin reports.