May 23, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode

President Biden's statement that the U.S. would defend Taiwan from an attack from China triggered a sharp response from Beijing. It also raises questions about whether this is changing U.S. policy and making a new commitment to Taiwan. Ivan Kanapathy, director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia on the National Security Council staff during the Trump administration, joins Nick Schifrin to discuss.

Last week’s primaries in Pennsylvania and North Carolina showed that former President Trump still exerts real influence on Republican voters. That influence will be tested again this week in Georgia, one of the closest battleground states in 2020. William Brangham reports.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join William Brangham to discuss the latest political news, including how Georgia’s primary election has revealed a high-profile disagreement between former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence and the prevalence of the “big lie.”

As Russian forces battle for full control of southern Ukraine, it's the small villages that dot the landscape that have incurred the brunt of their bombardment. John Ray of Independent Television News reports from one town on the frontline, just two miles from where Russian troops are dug in.

Questions are swirling around an apparent outbreak of monkeypox, a rare disease that has been found in a number of countries around the world including the U.S. In light of the pandemic, many are asking about what they need to know. Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, joins John Yang to discuss.

For the first time ever, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation on Sunday awarded five people the Profile in Courage award for their commitment to protecting democracy in the U.S. and around the globe. This year the Kennedy family honored Ukraine's President Zelenskyy for his efforts against Russia and Democrats and Republicans for upholding election integrity. Judy Woodruff reports.