September 18, 2024 - PBS News Hour full episode

In our news wrap Wednesday, the Justice Department is suing the owner of the cargo ship that caused the Baltimore bridge collapse, Boeing's CEO says it will furlough employees to offset the costs of an ongoing strike, Portugal declared a "state of calamity" amid 100 wildfires and officials in Zimbabwe will allow the killing of hundreds of wild elephants to feed people affected by a severe drought.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in four years with an aggressive move that lowers its benchmark rate by a half percentage point. The Fed also said it intended to lower interest rates by a full point before the year is out. Amna Nawaz discussed the decision and what it could mean, with David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy.

For the second time in as many days, there was an unprecedented attack on Hezbollah. Tuesday, pagers exploded. Wednesday, it was two-way radios. At least 20 more people died and hundreds injured on top of at least 12 killed and nearly 3,000 wounded on Tuesday. Israel is assumed to have infiltrated supply chains to implant explosives in the devices. Nick Schifrin discussed more with Hanin Ghaddar.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are pressing ahead with a very busy campaign schedule. For Trump, that included his first campaign appearance since the latest apparent assassination attempt against him. Lisa Desjardins reports on the increasing calls for civility in this contentious election season.

The election looms, but first, lawmakers face another deadline to keep the government open and funded. With just under two weeks to go, the House of Representatives is taking a risk by voting on a government funding patch with controversial election reform attached to the bill. That combination is expected to fail and for now, Republicans say they don’t have a backup plan. Lisa Desjardins reports.

The companies that create technology used on a daily basis often run into traditional cultures and the environment that sustains them. In a previous report, videographer Edward Kiernan and special correspondent Willem Marx introduced us to the new and potentially lucrative industry of deep-sea mining. They return to Papua New Guinea and report on locals fighting to save a vanishing way of life.

Lindsey Hilsum is an award-winning correspondent with Britain’s Channel 4 News who has contributed to the News Hour with reports from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and more. Her new book, "I Brought the War with Me," marries her life as a war correspondent with poetry. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant discussed more with Hilsum for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

We’re learning more about the effects of abortion restrictions enacted after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. ProPublica found at least two women in Georgia who died after being unable to get either a legal abortion or timely medical care. Committees examining pregnancy-related deaths concluded that both were preventable. John Yang discussed more with ProPublica's Kavitha Surana.