January 1, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

In our news wrap Tuesday, President Trump invited congressional leaders to the White House to discuss a border wall, as the partial government shutdown reached its 11th day. A federal workers' union is suing the Trump administration on behalf of 400,000 employees forced to work without pay. Also, people around the world observed the dawn of a new year with a variety of rituals and celebrations.

Best-selling author John Grisham became a lawyer, got bored and turned his courtroom experience into legal thrillers instead. His latest, "The Reckoning," tells of the murder of a Mississippi preacher by a returning World War II hero, who confesses to the crime but won't explain why he did it. Jeffrey Brown spoke with Grisham at the Miami Book Fair about the novel, which includes a Grisham first.

As the calendar turned to 2019 this week, new laws are taking effect, and new state legislatures are looking to push even more changes. In some states, these measures will address gun safety, roll back business licensing regulations and legalize marijuana. Amna Nawaz checks in with The Hill national correspondent Reid Wilson, who tracks changes to state policies, for an overview.

Six months after a landmark summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seemed to keep the two nations from the precipice of war, Kim says North Korea won't make, test or give away nuclear weapons -- plus he's ready to meet Trump again. Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Jenny Town of online policy journal 38 North discuss with Amna Nawaz.

The nation’s opioid crisis was declared a public health emergency in 2017 and received new funding this past October. But rampant addiction led to some 40,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. last year, and 2019 could see the culmination of a flood of ensuing lawsuits seeking accountability. William Brangham speaks to Barry Meier, who explores the origins of the epidemic in a new book, “Pain Killer.”

In the Gaza Strip, 97 percent of freshwater is unsuitable for human consumption, and raw sewage pours into the Mediterranean Sea. Facilities for desalinating and treating water function on only a limited basis, as Israel controls the flow of fuel and supplies into the region. But Israelis, too, could face consequences from contaminated water. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.

Participants from the NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs, a project that teaches young reporters about journalism and media literacy, share what they’d like to see from the media in 2019.