February 8, 2024 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Rental prices are unaffordable for a record number of Americans with half of all renters paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Stephanie Sy reached out to renters across the country to hear how these soaring prices are impacting their lives and discussed their issues with Whitney Airgood-Obrycki.

One of the most brutal Russian attacks against Ukraine took place in Mariupol two years ago. Human Rights Watch, in collaboration with two other organizations, released a report detailing what happened and who in Russia was responsible. Nick Schifrin reports. And a warning, some images in this report are disturbing.

After days of stops and starts, the U.S. Senate moved toward giving Ukraine, Israel and other allies billions in aid. It's a major step but far from the final one and it unfolds as Ukraine is running out of supplies and time to fend off Russia's advances. Geoff Bennett broke it all down with Lisa Desjardins, Laura Barrón-López and Nick Schifrin.

In our news wrap Thursday, Israel stepped up air strikes on Rafah, a city near the Egyptian border packed with refugees, Secretary of State Blinken is heading home from Israel after failing to make much headway toward a cease-fire and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a major military shakeup facing a stalemate in the war with Russia.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in a landmark election case looking at whether Donald Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 should disqualify him from appearing on Colorado's ballot. The justices scrutinized an obscure provision in the 14th Amendment at the center of this case. Amna Nawaz discussed the hearing with William Brangham and Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle who both were at the court.

The Justice Department declined to prosecute President Biden for his handling of classified Obama-era documents found in his former office and at home. In a 345-page report, special counsel Robert Hur wrote, “We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter.” Geoff Bennett discussed more with Oona Hathaway, a Yale Law School professor and former special counsel at the Pentagon.

In the last election, the city of St. Paul, Minnesota, did something it had never done before: elect an all-female city council. The state’s capital became one of the largest American cities to hold that distinction. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.