November 9, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode

Southeast Asians have used kratom leaves as a home remedy for centuries. Recently, its popularity in the U.S. has exploded as a way to ease the effects of opioid withdrawal. But kratom is poorly regulated and synthetic versions contain high levels of a powerful compound that officials say should be restricted. Ali Rogin speaks with Tampa Bay Times senior politics reporter Kirby Wilson for more.

Medical imaging, like X-rays and CT scans, are routine, non-invasive and painless tools used by doctors to make diagnoses. But a recent study of about 4 million children published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the radiation exposure from imaging could pose a risk for pediatric cancer. John Yang speaks with Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, the study’s lead author, to learn more.

In our news wrap Sunday, the Senate held a rare Sunday session as Thune said a potential deal to end the shutdown is “coming together,” Super Typhoon Fung-wong hit the Philippines, Hamas handed over the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014, health officials are investigating a botulism outbreak linked to recalled baby formula, and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue died at 84.

The ripple effects of the Trump administration’s elimination of USAID are being felt in dozens of countries where the agency supported initiatives ranging from public health programs to infrastructure and climate resilience projects. Angeles Ponpa from Northwestern University’s school of journalism traveled to Indonesia to see the effect on one of the world’s fastest-sinking cities.

Aid groups say tens of thousands of people have fled violence in el-Fasher, a city in the Darfur region of Sudan, which is in the midst of a yearslong civil war. This follows an official declaration that famine is spreading through the northeastern African nation. John Yang speaks with Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, for more.