PBS News Hour

With both party conventions in the rear-view mirror, the 2024 presidential campaign enters its final stage. Donald Trump turned his attention to national security and Kamala Harris’ record and there are new questions about if the candidates will debate. Lisa Desjardins reports.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including the post-convention bump for Kamala Harris, the Trump campaign's response to the Harris surge and how Robert Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement of Trump could impact the race.

In total, 11 million Sudanese have been forced from their homes because of the country's bitter civil war between the army and a rogue militia. Up to 150,000 are feared dead and millions more face unimaginable trauma. In her third report from the front lines and with support from the Pulitzer Center, special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen followed some families searching for sanctuary.

Fifty years ago, a 26-year-old rural Maine school teacher wrote the horror novel “Carrie.” That man, Stephen King, has gone on to write more than 60 books and many have been turned into such films as “The Shining” and “Shawshank Redemption.” Jeffrey Brown spoke with King about his latest book, “You Like It Darker,” and the long arc of his career. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

The punishing heat hitting much of the U.S. this week, and the downpour that Hawaii is enduring, are just the latest in what has been a relentless drumbeat of extreme weather this summer. We spoke with people in different parts of the country about the impacts of these events and how they’re thinking about the future.

NASA's initial launch with the Boeing Starliner capsule has not worked out well. The space agency announced this weekend it has finally decided the two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station will come back on a SpaceX Dragon capsule next year. The pair were initially sent on an eight-day mission in early June. Amna Nawaz discussed the latest with science correspondent Miles O’Brien.

As climate change causes wildfires to become more frequent and devastating, wildland firefighters are often the last line of defense protecting homes and communities. But these crucial public servants are stretched thin and underpaid, and a temporary pay raise for federal firefighters will expire at the end of September unless Congress acts. Stephanie Sy reports.

There are hundreds of thousands of religious congregations across the United States. Some of the biggest, known as “megachurches,” are facing challenges as the culture around organized religion changes. Scott Thumma, a professor of sociology of religion at Hartford International University, joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss.

According to a new study, the percentage of people who say they’ve tried to end a pregnancy outside of the medical system has gone up since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. John Yang speaks with Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter for The 19th News, for more.

As new, highly contagious mutations are making this summer’s COVID surge significantly bigger than expected, the FDA approved updated COVID vaccines on Friday. But funding runs out this month for a federal program providing free vaccines to uninsured and underinsured Americans. John Yang speaks with PBS News digital health reporter Laura Santhanam for more.

The American Red Cross says there’s an emergency shortage of blood for transfusions. In July, the national supply dropped by more than 25 percent. The Red Cross says the only solution is more blood donors. Jessa Merrill, director of biomedical communications at the Red Cross, joins John Yang to discuss.

According to federal data, there were about 925,000 Black farmers in 1920 in the United States. A century later, that number has declined to only about 42,000. John Boyd Jr., founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, joins Ali Rogin to discuss efforts by the Biden administration to help farmers who have been historically excluded from government assistance programs.