August 31, 2021 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Tuesday brought a moment to take stock of two decades in Afghanistan as President Joe Biden addressed the nation to mark the end of America's longest war. Biden once again forcefully defended the decision to withdraw and claimed a messy exit was inevitable. He praised the sacrifice of service members and their families for the last two decades. White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor reports.

Residents along the Gulf Coast are struggling after Hurricane Ida, which left at least five people dead. Soaring temperatures added to the struggles of more than a million people in and surrounding New Orleans who lost power and have no air conditioning, or any real estimates of when power will be restored. Communities reporter Roby Chavez, who is based in New Orleans, reports.

Rebuilding and recovery from Hurricane Ida is going to be a long-term proposition and could be an expensive undertaking. For those whom the hurricane has displaced, basic necessities like power and water are gone, and fuel is running low. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy joins John Yang to discuss relief and rebuilding efforts, and how Congress needs to invest in mitigating natural disasters.

In our news wrap Tuesday, nearly 4,000 firefighters in Northern California are racing to defend the Lake Tahoe resort area from the massive Caldor Fire. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf issued a mask mandate for all public and private schools and child care facilities in the state. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons to seven Black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman.

As America leaves Afghanistan, there remains the possibility of a humanitarian disaster. Feeding millions of people is a top priority of the United Nations' World Food Program, whose executive director, David Beasley, negotiated with Taliban leaders in Qatar last week over the continuation of aid. Amna Nawaz spoke with him about those negotiations and the continuation of aid efforts.

Despite American presidents and military leaders providing years of positive assessments that the U.S. was winning the war in Afghanistan, behind the scenes there were clear warnings of an unsuccessful end. Those stories of failure, corruption and lack of strategy are the focus of Craig Whitlock's discussion with Judy Woodruff and his new book "The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War."

Millions of Americans spend weeks recovering from heart surgery and other operations to repair brain and bone injuries every year. As special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Chicago, researchers are working on a novel approach to aid in that recovery. The story is part of our “Breakthrough” series.

Louisiana's Jefferson Parish has been particularly hard hit by Hurricane Ida. John Yang speaks with Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng, who had been out surveying the damage. She said first responders still haven't reached one barrier island town in her parish, where residents are in dire need.