April 22, 2024 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Opening statements began Monday in the first criminal trial of Donald Trump. Prosecutors accused Trump and his associates of falsifying business records during his 2016 campaign to conceal an alleged extramarital affair. But the former president’s attorney said he was not involved in the payments, which they argue weren’t illegal, and did not commit a crime. William Brangham reports.

A new doping scandal has erupted involving Olympic swimmers from China. Chinese authorities and the World Anti-Doping Agency found the drug trimetazidine but cleared the swimmers and did not flag problems to Olympic officials. Several who tested positive went on to win medals, including three gold medals. Jeffrey Brown discussed the latest with Travis Tygart of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the most significant case on homelessness in decades. The case looks at challenges to laws in a small Oregon town fining homeless people up to $300 for setting up camps in public parks. The heart of the question is whether these laws classify as cruel and unusual punishment. Geoff Bennett and NewsHour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle discussed the case.

Kevin J. Patel is a climate activist from Los Angeles. After experiencing heart issues due to poor air quality in his city, he founded OneUpAction International, an organization intended to empower marginalized youth to be change-makers. He gives his Brief But Spectacular take on giving climate activism a shot.

In our news wrap Monday, there are more pro-Palestinian protests at some of the nation's prominent universities, Vice President Harris unveiled rules to improve care at federally-funded nursing homes, the Supreme Court agreed to take up a Biden administration appeal in favor of regulating 'ghost guns' and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said President Biden promised his country air defense systems.

Many Palestinians have returned to Khan Younis to search for their dead after Israeli forces withdrew from the city. For more than a week now, they’ve unearthed graves where hundreds of bodies were buried. Ali Rogin reports.

Creative Growth is an art center in Oakland that supports artists with disabilities. The center has artworks in museums across the country and plays a big part in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's new exhibition. Jeffrey Brown reports for our ongoing look at health and the arts for our CANVAS series.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Andrew Desiderio of Punchbowl News join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including the House passing foreign aid for Ukraine after months of debate and political gamesmanship and the turmoil surrounding Speaker Mike Johnson.