PBS News Hour

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.

Since June, PBS News has followed a group of undecided voters from across the country and across the political spectrum. Now, less than two months before Election Day, there has been some movement among these voters. They share their thoughts in the latest installment of our series, “The Deciders.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Leaders of Ukraine’s two most important allies are meeting in Washington. President Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have many topics on their agenda, but there is particular attention on coordinating support for Ukraine and allowing Kyiv to use American and British long-range missiles to hit targets deep inside Russia. Nick Schifrin reports.