April 29, 2021 - PBS NewsHour full episode

The Biden administration on Wednesday laid out a $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, which focuses on child care and education. As President Biden pushes these sweeping new policies, he's relying on his cabinet secretaries to help in the negotiation effort. Amna Nawaz speaks to one of them — Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra — about the plan, health care, and immigration.

For three weeks, America and the world watched dozens of witnesses testify, and spent hours looking at video of George Floyd's murder at the trial of Derek Chauvin. Within days, other videos of deadly police encounters have renewed calls for racial justice. Jerry Blackwell and Steve Schleicher, who led the prosecution for the state of Minnesota, join Judy Woodruff to consider the verdict's impact.

100 days into his presidency, President Joe Biden has already faced historic challenges. In his televised first address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night, he laid out his plans to prepare the country for the future by strengthening infrastructure and families, and sharing some of his vision for America's place in the world. Here's a recap of the evening, and Biden's presidency so far.

Addressing a joint Congress on the eve of his 100th day in office, President Joe Biden urged Republicans to work with Democrats to address the pandemic, gun violence, climate change, police reform and more. But his hour-long speech drew criticism from many Republican members of Congress. Judy Woodruff discusses the evening with the Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

The FDA announced Thursday it hopes to ban menthol in cigarettes and cigars, citing its particularly harmful impact on Black communities, to whom they were heavily marketed. William Brangham has more on the FDA's move and discusses it with Delmonte Jefferson, the executive director at The Center for Black Health & Equity — one of many groups that had been pressuring the FDA to take this step.

Museums have been hit hard over the past year during the pandemic, with a fall survey finding more than 30 percent remain closed and a third were at risk of permanently closing. But one museum on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon, has been bucking trends by being bold, gaining membership and financial support even as its doors remain closed. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports.