June 26, 2024 - PBS NewsHour full episode

President Biden announced pardons for former U.S. service members who were convicted under a military law, repealed in 2013, that banned gay sex. The move would potentially cover thousands of veterans who were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Geoff Bennett discussed the decision with Lindsay Church, executive director of Minority Veterans of America.

The long fight against HIV/AIDS may get a potent new weapon. A new drug, taken by injection twice a year, shows great promise in preventing new HIV infections and would ease the treatment process since patients currently have to take daily medication. It could have far-reaching impacts, especially in lower-income countries that are facing rising new infection rates. William Brangham reports.

For the first time since the Cold War, a journalist has gone on trial in Russia for espionage. The Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich appeared in court accused of working on behalf of the CIA. The White House calls the trial a sham and the charges against Gershkovich fiction. Nick Schifrin discussed more with Angela Stent, author of “Putin's World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest.”

The Supreme Court handed down two opinions Wednesday but left some of the most politically fraught cases for the final days of its term. One left undecided for now is focused on abortion and a ban in Idaho. But we may have clues about how the justices will decide the case after a document was mistakenly posted. John Yang reports on how the mistake happened and what it could mean for the court.

More than a quarter of Americans now claim no religious affiliation, a finding from the Pew Research Center. That makes the so-called “nones” the largest bloc of Americans. Judy Woodruff reports that for white Christians, the once-dominant group by far, there’s also been a growing political divide within communities as faith has receded. It’s for her latest installment of America at a Crossroads.