November 21, 2023 - PBS NewsHour full episode

The families of hostages held by Hamas have faced six weeks of horror and worry. Amna Nawaz discussed the ordeal with Abbey Onn and Liz Hirsh Naftali. Both are awaiting the return of loved ones.

The U.S. government remains open this Thanksgiving week, thanks to a temporary funding deal Congress passed last week. But that deal starts to expire in January and conservatives are signaling they won’t pass another funding deal without addressing the swelling national debt. Geoff Bennett and Lisa Desjardins take a look at the big numbers.

The legal war continues over whether former President Trump should be disqualified from the ballot in Colorado. The case is over Section Three of the 14th Amendment, which bars a person from future office if they have taken an oath to the Constitution and later engage in an insurrection. Laura Barrón-López discussed the latest developments with constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe.

The number of households where children are raised by grandparents is rising in lower and middle-income countries. Parents have moved away for opportunities as agricultural jobs no longer provide a reliable income due to climate change. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports for the series, Agents for Change, produced in partnership with the Under-Told Stories Project at the University of St. Thomas.

Scientists in Iceland say that a major volcanic eruption could occur within days. But they are increasingly optimistic that it may spare a town 40 miles southwest of the capital Reykjavik. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

Jonathan McCrory has served as the artistic director at the National Black Theatre for over ten years. Along the way, he earned three Obie Awards, the highest honor for off-Broadway theater. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on love, joy and the pursuit of happiness.