January 16, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode

More of President-elect Trump's picks for key Cabinet positions faced questions from senators on Capitol Hill in another mammoth day of confirmation hearings. Lisa Desjardins reports.

While the Los Angeles wildfires have brought vast destruction and loss, we’ve also witnessed the best of humanity with Californians stepping up to help their neighbors in any way they can. We spoke with many of those people working around the clock to help those affected.

One of the legacies President Biden leaves behind when he exits the White House is his record on conserving and protecting the country’s public lands and water. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland played a key role in implementing Biden's policies over four years. Amna Nawaz spoke with Haaland about her achievements.

For four years, the Biden Administration has said there is only one country that has both the intention and capacity to reshape the international order in its favor. That country is China. Nick Schifrin spoke with Ambassador Nicholas Burns, the man who had a front-row seat, and helped manage, U.S.-China relations for the Biden administration.

The clock is ticking on a potential ban on TikTok. In April, Congress and President Biden gave the app’s Beijing-based parent company 270 days to find a new owner or face a shutdown. They argued that Chinese control of the platform was a national security threat. Geoff Bennett discussed the latest developments with Carrie Cordero of the Center for a New American Security.

The Gaza ceasefire deal announced Wednesday largely mirrors a proposal made by President Biden last May. In recent days, President-elect Trump's Middle East envoy joined the Biden team to push the deal to completion. Those eight months have been bloody and have seen shifts in Gaza and across the region. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer.

In our news wrap Thursday, Blue Origin sent its first rocket into orbit with a successful test of the uncrewed New Glenn system, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed state Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill Marco Rubio's Senate seat, Rudy Giuliani reached a settlement with former election workers he defamed, baseball announcer Bob Uecker died at 90 and visionary filmmaker David Lynch died at 78.

Israel's Cabinet has delayed a vote on the ceasefire deal struck to suspend the war in Gaza and swap hostages and detainees. Prime Minister Netanyahu blames Hamas for the delay, saying the militant group was trying to change the deal, a charge Hamas denied. American and Egyptian mediators met to discuss implementing the deal, scheduled to begin Sunday. Nick Schifrin reports.