January 8, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

While President Trump insists a physical wall is critical to securing the southern border, some members of his own party say the government should reopen before negotiations on a wall continue. One of them is Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., who tells Judy Woodruff Americans are less safe while key government agencies are closed and that a majority supports a bipartisan

Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a book club that has transformed into an online community and literary festival, all celebrating voices that otherwise might not be heard. She talks with Jeffrey Brown about her original goal of making new friends, seeing herself in literature and creating community through books in the age of social media.

Margo Price is a rising star in the world of country music, nominated for a Grammy Award for her songs about rural America, her own personal struggles with alcohol, loss and trying to make it in Nashville. The NewsHour caught up with her at Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club.

It’s day 18 of the government shutdown, and its impact is rippling across the country. In rural communities, some people trying to buy homes won't be able to without access to government-backed mortgages. Also, one federal contractor not working shares her story of having to delay vehicle and dental expenses while she and her furloughed husband miss their paychecks. Judy Woodruff has the story.

The death rate from cancer in the U.S. fell 27 percent between 1991 and 2016 due to earlier detection and a decline in smoking, according to a new study by the American Cancer Society. But obesity-related cancer deaths are increasing, and the disparity between outcomes in wealthy and poor communities is widening. John Yang talks to Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, ACS acting chief medical officer.

Ahead of his address on the government shutdown and border wall, President Trump tweeted that the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border was a humanitarian and national security crisis. Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said that the “crisis is getting worse.” But are these statements true? Amna Nawaz joins Judy Woodruff for a look at the facts.

President Trump plans to make his case for a border wall during a primetime speech, in which he’s expected to reiterate his argument that the situation at the southern border constitutes a “crisis.” Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss how the administration justifies the government shutdown, where public opinion stands and how congressional Democrats might respond.

The success of college scholarship recipients across the country varies widely. A program in Minnesota boasts a graduate rate one and a half times better than the national average, and it’s especially helpful for first-generation college students. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the Wallin Education Partners, which has helped more than 4,500 Minnesota students complete college.

President Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office with an appeal for $5.7 billion to build a physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, calling illegal immigration "a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul." After the president's remarks, Democratic congressional leaders spoke, followed by analysis from Amna Nawaz, Lisa Desjardins, Yamiche Alcindor, Amy Walter and Judy Woodruff.