January 21, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Ever since the withdrawal of the U.S. and its allies, and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the global community cut off non-humanitarian aid, froze assets abroad and imposed sanctions on the new government. Add to that crippling drought and harsh winter, Afghans are now going to desperate lengths to keep themselves and their family alive. John Ray of Independent Television News reports.

One year into President Joe Biden's tenure, we take stock of the status of some of his key campaign promises surrounding education, including the promise to reopen K-12 schools during the pandemic and provide two years of free community college. Geoff Bennett reports.

Individual ingenuity has become a hallmark of the pandemic with artists producing an array of creative in-person and virtual innovations. Special correspondent Cat Wise has the story of how one San Francisco artist stepped in to help out during the early days and soon found a new calling. This report is part of our art and culture series, CANVAS.

Since childhood, Jess T. Dugan has recognized the power of photography in documenting the world around them. As they grew into their gender identity, they began using photography and portraits to capture not only their own life, but the lives of other queer people. Tonight, Dugan shares their Brief But Spectacular take on representation and the power of portraiture.

In our news wrap Friday, a federal judge in Texas blocked nationwide enforcement of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal workers. Anti-abortion groups held their annual rally in Washington, D.C., buoyed by hopes of an abortion rights rollback. Rebels in Yemen say a Saudi coalition airstrike killed at least 70 inmates at a prison. Rock star Meat Loaf's fans are mourning after his death Thursday.

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including Democrats' inability to garner enough support to pass the White House's legislative priorities, and the tensions that remain between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine.