PBS News Hour

If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of Hollywood history, now’s your chance. A pair of Dorothy's ruby slippers are up for auction and just like Dorothy, this pair of shoes has been on its own long and very strange journey. Special Correspondent Megan Thompson reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

President-elect Trump’s decision to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services is sparking concern. There are worries too about his history of false statements and beliefs in debunked conspiracy theories. At the same time, he’s pushing hard on some major problems that experts say are real. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Dr. Katelyn Jetelina.

Donald Trump is likely to be the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote in the last 20 years. Pre-election polls have consistently underestimated his support since he first ran eight years ago. That’s left some folks spending the last week trying to figure out what happened. Geoff Bennett and NPR’s Domenico Montanaro discussed what the polls got right and what they missed.

In our news wrap Friday, all eyes on President Joe Biden as world leaders gather at the APEC Summit in Peru for one of his final appearances on the world stage, climate experts are calling for an urgent overhaul of the United Nation's COP climate talks and Lebanon's caretaker prime minister has asked Iran to help secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

In our news wrap Thursday, Syrian state media says Israel carried out two airstrikes killing at least 15 people near Damascus, suicides within the U.S. military increased last year continuing a long-term trend, New Jersey declared a drought warning as parts of the northeast see the driest conditions experienced in nearly 120 years and the Pentagon poured cold water on reports of alien sightings.

In the first year after the Supreme Court ended the federal right to an abortion, 210 women faced charges for behavior related to pregnancy, abortion, pregnancy loss or birth. The decision emboldened prosecutors to develop aggressive strategies to charge and imprison pregnant women and mothers. But even prior to the overturning of Roe, hundreds of women faced such charges. Sarah Varney reports.

President-elect Trump continues to name nominees to his cabinet and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy was first a Democratic then independent candidate in the 2024 election before dropping out and endorsing Trump. He's also an anti-vaccine activist and has pushed several conspiracies about the COVID-19 virus. Laura Barrón-López reports.

If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard would oversee 18 intelligence organizations including the CIA and NSA. Her nomination could set off a fight since Gabbard has no intelligence experience and is accused of defending dictators and parroting disinformation. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Michael Leiter, former director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center.

Twenty years ago this month, U.S. Marines began fighting the largest urban battle since the Vietnam War. More than 12,000 American, British and Iraqi troops fought for Fallujah, which had become an insurgent stronghold. In collaboration with The War Horse, Nick Schifrin spent time with the Marines who still remember and feel that battle like it was yesterday.

House Republicans will maintain their hold on the lower chamber next year, giving the GOP a political trifecta in Washington, controlling both chambers of Congress and the presidency come January. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Plans for Trump’s return to Washington, and the Republican Party’s return to power, are well underway. But for Democrats in the minority, the path forward is not as clear. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York is the House Democratic leader and the author of the new children’s book, "The ABCs of Democracy." Jeffries joined Amna Nawaz to discuss more.

President-elect Trump announced his picks to lead the bulk of the expansive, American security and diplomatic apparatus. A senator, a soldier-turned-television host and a former member of Congress have been chosen by Donald Trump to lead, respectively, the State Department, the Defense Department and the Directorate of National Intelligence. Nick Schifrin reports.