PBS News Hour

Pop culture and politics have a history of crossover. These intersections take on new significance during an election year, but how important are celebrity endorsements of candidates, and do they actually make a difference in voters’ minds? Lisa Desjardins speaks with Mark Harvey, author of “Celebrity Influence: Politics, Persuasion, and Issue-Based Advocacy,” for more on this topic.

What could be the largest grocery store merger in U.S. history is at a do-or-die point, with closing arguments this week in a lawsuit filed by the FTC to stop Kroger’s nearly $25 billion purchase of Albertsons. The companies say the merger would lower prices, but regulators argue it would eliminate competition. Washington Post retail reporter Jaclyn Peiser joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss.

About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. That’s one reason doctors recommend women get yearly mammograms beginning at age 45, but for some women, mammograms won’t detect their cancer. A new FDA requirement could lead to more breast cancer cases being identified, saving lives. JoAnn Pushkin, executive director of DenseBreast-info.org, joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

In our news wrap Saturday, a funeral was held in Turkey for the Turkish-American woman killed by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank, Israeli airstrikes hammered central and southern Gaza, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 206 prisoners of war, a Civil War-era abortion ban came off the books in Arizona, and a new report found “no evidence” Hawaii officials prepared for the deadly 2023 Maui wildfire.

A group of parents in Gaza have described heartbreak as they remain separated from their babies who were born prematurely in Jerusalem just over a year ago. They needed specialized care in Israel, and were supposed to be reunited with their parents, but the war has kept them separated. Rachel Younger of Independent Television News reports.

According to government data, homelessness in the U.S. increased 12 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. But one group has seen significant improvement over the last 15 years: veterans. Much of that can be credited to a government housing program known as HUD-VASH. Lisa Desjardins speaks with Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, to learn more.

A popular online geography game is taking players around the globe, one Google Street View image at a time. John Yang speaks with Trevor Rainbolt, perhaps the game’s most famous player, for a look inside the world of GeoGuessr.

Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart and National Review editor Ramesh Ponnuru join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the presidential debate marking a major moment in the race for the White House, Donald Trump comes under scrutiny for conspiracy theories and the gender gap in presidential polls.

The United Kingdom faces problems with its defense posture amid Britain's budget troubles. The British Army’s new chief warned it could lose its next conflict unless it increases its fighting power. But as special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports, military leaders are bracing themselves for more cuts from Prime Minister Starmer’s new government.

Artist and designer Beau McCall has made his mark on the art world one button at a time. Special correspondent Jared Bowen of GBH Boston takes us through the first-ever retrospective covering his near-40-year career. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

After facing off this week for the debate, former President Trump and Vice President Harris are now on opposite ends of the country. Harris focused on Pennsylvania voters while Trump spoke to reporters at his golf club in California. Trump continued attacks on legal Haitian immigrants in Ohio, even threatening to deport them. Laura Barrón-López and Lisa Desjardins discuss more with Geoff Bennett.

As college students head back to campus for the new academic year, universities are rolling out new rules as they prepare for more protests over the Israel-Hamas war. In many cases, there's a wide range of new restrictions. Jeffrey Brown looks at how college leaders and students are navigating the moment.