March 11, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

In our Monday news wrap, schools and businesses across Venezuela were forced to close again, as much of the country remained blacked out. The explosion of a Caracas power station added to the misery for people who have been living without electricity since Thursday. Also, British Prime Minister Theresa May traveled to France to seek concessions from the EU, in a bid to save her Brexit plan.

The White House has released President Trump’s proposed 2020 budget. The record $4.7 trillion plan calls for increased military spending and $8.6 billion for Trump’s controversial border wall, along with significant cuts to domestic programs. Judy Woodruff talks to the president’s chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, about his priorities and why “growth solves a lot of problems” for the economy.

In the Yuma sector of the southwestern Arizona border, Border Patrol officials are observing dramatic shifts in the migrant populations they apprehend. In the past, a majority of migrants caught crossing illegally were single men. Now 90% of those apprehended are Central American families and unaccompanied children. Amna Nawaz reports on how changing demographics are taxing immigration resources.

Democratic presidential hopefuls courted voters across the country over the weekend. Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg spoke at the popular South by Southwest conference and festival in Austin, Texas, while Sen. Bernie Sanders campaigned in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, polls among Iowa Democrats suggest an increasing appetite for more liberal policies. John Yang reports.

It irks novelist and professor Elizabeth McCracken when people say a success has “humbled” them. She argues it’s in fact failure that produces a humbling effect -- but also a highly motivating one. McCracken offers her humble opinion on why the best work doesn’t derive from calm equilibrium, but rather from a “well-nourished, very private sense of revenge.”

Marlon James is best known for writing literary fiction, including “A Brief History of Seven Killings,” which won the prestigious Man Booker Prize. But his latest book, “Black Leopard, Red Wolf,” draws on a lifelong love of comics and fantasy. James sits down with Jeffrey Brown to discuss why he still seeks "a sword and some sorcery" and the importance of seeing oneself reflected in narrative.