December 25, 2023 - PBS NewsHour full episode

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including Nikki Haley on the rise while another GOP campaign seems to be fading with just a few weeks until the first votes of the presidential campaign and a look toward the 2024 election.

The Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel and Israel's attacks against Palestinians has taxed the medical communities on both sides of the conflict. The ambulance drivers and paramedics are on the front lines of the war. Special correspondent Martin Himel has a look at the life of two medics, one in Gaza and one in Israel.

It has been two months since a gunman opened fire on a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others. One community was especially hit hard by the attack. The shooting is believed to be the deadliest for deaf people ever in the U.S. Laura Barrón-López reports on how that community is rebuilding in the wake of tragedy.

Mental health experts believe one of the long-term consequences of lockdowns during the COVID pandemic is an increase in loneliness. In Britain, communities are trying to combat people’s isolation by introducing so-called chatty benches and chatty cafes. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Kent.