June 27, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

The race for the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign kicked into a new gear Wednesday with the first candidate debate. A second group of 10 candidates takes the stage Thursday night. Stu Rothenberg of “Inside Elections” and Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss who helped themselves the most, a battle for the party's soul and future and the potential for “more fireworks” on Thursday.

N. K. Jemisin, author of our June pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This, joins Liz Flock to answer reader questions on “The Fifth Season,” and Liz announces the July book selection.

Transitioning a business to a new owner has its challenges. But a program run by the business school at the University of Kansas aims to match those seeking to sell their companies with potential buyers seeking business opportunities. Peter Tubbs of Iowa Public Television reports on the importance of this link between people entering and exiting business that are critical to local communities.

Although the presidency of Donald Trump has been marked by several scandals, they so far have not appeared to jeopardize his support with his enthusiastic base. Will that change with new details about an allegation he raped writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s, or with major controversy over the care of detained immigrant children in U.S. custody? Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

The Supreme Court ended its term with two major rulings that could have long-running implications for fundamental U.S. political processes. It blocked a census citizenship question, at least for now, and declared federal courts have no role in policing partisan gerrymandering. NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang and Stu Rothenberg of “Inside Elections” join Jeffrey Brown and National Law Journal’s Marcia Coyle.

Marcus Yam is a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times and the winner of two Pulitzers. Having covered California wildfires extensively, he is deeply familiar with the challenge of documenting tragedy and humanity up close. Yam offers his Brief but Spectacular take on the sensitivity and perspective he brings to his work.