May 14, 2021 - PBS NewsHour full episode

The current fight over voting access happening on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures will determine how Americans choose their leaders for decades to come. Yamiche Alcindor reports on Texas, where Republican lawmakers are currently working to pass a new and restrictive elections bill.

The year 1990 saw the “Great Shoe Spill" where tens of thousands of Nike shoes fell into the Pacific. The accident led to some scientific discoveries, and now, whimsical art packed with an eco-friendly message. William Brangham plunges into an exhibit called “Overboard” for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

In many states, fully vaccinated Americans can now resume most activities without wearing a mask. The new guidance announced Thursday by the CDC was met with jubilation in many quarters. But there are also concerns the changes for indoor masking are happening too quickly. Lisa Desjardins follows up on those concerns with Dr. Ranit Mishori, a professor of family medicine at Georgetown University.

Fighting has raged for a fifth day between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza. More than 120 Palestinians have died in Gaza, with nearly 1,000 wounded. Eight Israelis have been killed, and violence spread to the West Bank as well. Rockets were also launched at Israel from neighboring Syria, and protests sympathetic to the Palestinians erupted in Lebanon and Jordan. Amna Nawaz reports.

In our news wrap Friday, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives elected Elise Stefanik of New York to their No. 3 leadership post, replacing Wyoming's Liz Cheney after her criticism of former President Trump. House negotiators have struck a deal on investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. And, on Wall Street, stocks recovered more losses from earlier this week.

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including what the Isreali-Palestinian conflict and the CDC's new mask guidance means for President Joe Biden, as well as the Republican shakeup in the House of Representatives.

Each week, PBS NewsHour pauses to remember five Americans lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, and shares memories and highlights from their lives.