April 26, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Baltimore is once again beset by allegations of corruption. The city’s mayor, Catherine Pugh, is accused of bestowing contracts and political favors on companies and organizations that purchased large orders of her book. The scandal, plus rising crime and a lack of economic opportunity, keep Baltimore residents cynical about government. William Brangham talks to Paul Jay of the Real News Network.

Manal al-Sharif inspired Saudi Arabian women to defy their country's ban on female drivers by posting a video of herself behind the wheel. The act saw her jailed but was ultimately influential in the 2018 lifting of the ban. Now based in Australia, al-Sharif is raising awareness of female activists detained by Saudi authorities. Amna Nawaz talks to her about the state of Saudi women’s rights.

PBS "Masterpiece" has a new spin on an old story, with a six-hour serial version of “Les Miserables.” Unlike recent Broadway and film presentations, this one is not a musical, and its length offers the audience more time to connect to characters. Jeffrey Brown talks to stars Dominic West, David Oyelowo and Lily Collins and Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton about the hero story's current relevance.

In our Friday news wrap, President Trump said the U.S. intends to withdraw support for the UN Arms Trade Treaty, which President Obama signed in 2013 but which the Senate never ratified. Trump told the NRA’s annual meeting the pact threatens Second Amendment freedoms. Also, Sri Lanka’s president said the suspected ringleader of the Easter Sunday attacks died in one of the hotel suicide bombings.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks discuss the week’s news, including Joe Biden’s entrance into the 2020 presidential campaign, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s policy proposal on student loans and the adversarial dynamic between the White House and Congress over investigations into the Trump administration.

A DHHS inspector general’s report found it likely thousands more children and parents were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border than previously thought. The Trump administration said it needed up to two years to identify the families, but a federal court granted six months instead. The ACLU’s Lee Gelernt tells Yamiche Alcindor why the judge's decision prompts the issue's "most important moment.”