January 19, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode

Monday’s change of Oval Office occupants is a ritual full of traditions and customs. One of the more modern ones began in 1989, when Ronald Reagan left a note for George H.W. Bush on stationery with a whimsical bit of advice. John Yang speaks with Lindsay Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library, to learn more about this tradition.

As Trump returns to the White House with Republicans in charge of the House and Senate, Democrats are searching for a way forward. Ron Wyden, the second-most senior Senate Democrat, offers strategies in a new book, “It Takes Chutzpah: How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change.” Amna Nawaz recently sat down with Wyden.

President-elect Trump’s inaugural committee has smashed fundraising records, racking up more than $200 million in pledges. Donations have come from some of the world’s biggest companies, and top tech CEOs will be front and center at the festivities. Ali Rogin speaks with ethics and campaign finance expert Craig Holman and New York Times technology reporter Cecilia Kang for more.

In our news wrap Sunday, Biden spent the final full day of his presidency visiting supporters in South Carolina, Trump laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, TikTok restored service to U.S. users after temporarily going dark due to a federal ban, a polar vortex is bringing dangerously cold conditions south from the Arctic, and Biden posthumously pardoned Marcus Garvey.

Three women are back on Israeli soil for the first time in 15 months since they were kidnapped in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and held captive in Gaza, as a long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect Sunday. Two U.S. citizens are on Hamas’ list of hostages to be released in the deal’s first phase. John Yang speaks with the father of one American hostage who is not on that list.