August 13, 2021 - PBS NewsHour full episode

How did the failure in Afghanistan come about and who is to blame? Multiple administrations and both parties own the blame for the state of the nation, says Col. Andrew Bacevich (ret.) of the Quincy Institute. We now have a responsibility to provide continued military and diplomatic support for the nation after our 20 year engagement, says Lisa Curtis of the Center for a New American Security.

The Afghan government is prioritizing protecting its largest cities, like Kabul, against the Taliban’s advance to protect its most dense populations and civil services, says Afghanistan's ambassador to the U.S. Adela Raz. The U.S. withdrawal? “It’s an abandonment,” she says. Raz spoke with William Brangham about her nation’s critical status.

The Twin Cities is one of the most affordable metropolitan areas of the country. Its longstanding racial disparities in home ownership are also among the worst. Just 25 percent of Black residents in Minneapolis and St. Paul own their homes, compared to 75 percent of white residents. Special Correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro explores why -- and what’s being done to change it.

UN leaders warn Afghanistan faces a humanitarian tragedy as Taliban forces race across the country. Meanwhile thousands of U.S. troops arrived to help speed up efforts to withdraw from the war-ravaged nation.

In our news wrap Friday, a CDC panel advised people with weakened immune systems should receive a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine for full protection. A federal judge struck down a challenge to the Biden administration’s eviction moratorium and more.

What does it mean to be Latino? Author Hector Tobar took a 9,000-mile road trip across the country last winter exploring exactly that. In an essay for Harper’s and a forthcoming book, “A Migrant’s Light,” he captures the history and experience of Latinos everywhere from Los Angeles to Texas, Florida and New York. He talks to Jeffrey Brown about what he saw and how he thinks about his own identity.

Washington Post columnists Jonathan Capehart and Michael Gerson join William Brangham to discuss the politics of the week including the Taliban’s march across Afghanistan, the latest startling report on climate change and how to convince all Americans to get vaccinated.