February 2, 2024 - PBS NewsHour full episode

El Salvador is holding its election and all eyes are on incumbent President Nayib Bukele. He came to power in 2019 and has overseen a brutal crackdown on gangs that terrorized the nation for decades. His popularity has soared, but his government has been accused of human rights abuses and dismantling democratic institutions. Amna Nawaz discussed Bukele's policies with Vice President Felix Ulloa.

South Carolina voters head to the polls Saturday for the first official Democratic primary of the year. Four years ago, Black voters in South Carolina rescued Joe Biden’s bid for the presidency, fueled in large part by an endorsement from Rep. James Clyburn. Geoff Bennett spoke with Clyburn about the president’s standing among the Democratic base and with Black Americans.

The labor market was running hot again last month as U.S. employers added 353,000 jobs, double what many expected. It's been resilient for months despite predictions of a recession last year. At the same time, the Federal Reserve indicated it’s too soon to start lowering interest rates. Amna Nawaz discussed the latest with Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austin Goolsbee.

In our news wrap Friday, rain and snow drenched California after the first of two storms swept through, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis admitted to having a personal relationship with a special prosecutor she hired in Donald Trump's election fraud case and Ukraine says Russia is refusing to return the bodies of scores of Ukrainian prisoners of war who allegedly died in a plane crash.

The U.S. launched a series of military strikes against Iranian forces and the militias they support in both Syria and Iraq. The bombings are in retaliation for an attack last weekend that killed three American soldiers and wounded dozens of others in Jordan. Nick Schifrin reports.

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the U.S. striking back against Iran-backed militias, congressional gridlock on issues like immigration and taxes, its impact on the 2024 presidential race and how conspiracy theories and falsehoods spread online.