January 18, 2024 - PBS NewsHour full episode

In 2010, journalist Michele Norris started “The Race Card Project.” She asked people around the world to send her a postcard, and in just six words, share their thoughts, questions, experiences and aspirations about identity and race. Geoff Bennett and Norris discussed the project and her new book, “Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity.”

A majority of people traveling abroad alone these days are women, and demand for women-led tour groups is rising. Stephanie Sy takes a closer look at the reasons why women are drawn to solo travel and how the hospitality industry is taking notice.

More than 60,000 Palestinians have been wounded during the Israeli air and ground campaigns. Nick Schifrin reports on the state of medical care in the warzone and speaks with Dr. Seema Jilani, an American doctor who just returned from Gaza. A warning, some of the images and descriptions in this story are disturbing.

Activists and health advocates are pressing the Biden administration to ban menthol cigarettes ahead of an FDA deadline. Black community leaders and public health advocates marched toward the White House and staged a mock funeral for the 45,000 Black lives lost from tobacco-related illnesses each year. But there's a battle over whether the administration should enact a ban. Stephanie Sy reports.

The federal child tax credit may soon be expanded as part of an effort by some lawmakers to ensure that more American families can access the benefit. If the proposal becomes law it would gradually increase the credit and allow lower-income families to receive a refundable tax credit for each child. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Sharon Parrott of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In our news wrap Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed talk of Palestinian statehood after the Gaza war ends, the Hamas-run health ministry reported the Palestinian death toll has passed 24,600, the U.S. military hit Houthi rebels in Yemen for the fifth time and severe drought forced authorities to cut shipping traffic through the Panama Canal by 36 percent.

Congress dodged a partial government shutdown with just one day to spare. A temporary funding bill passed with strong bipartisan support, but a long-term fix and tougher debates remain. Lisa Desjardins reports on what this means and what it doesn't.