October 24, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

The concept of orphanages has long been considered outdated in developed countries. In the developing world, however, these institutions still house hundreds of thousands of children. But the surprising reality is that the parents of most of these children are actually still alive. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Cambodia as part of his series Agents for Change.

Andrew Brunson, an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey for two years, inspired global prayers for his safe release. Now, he’s written a book, “God’s Hostage,” about the ordeal, which hardened American relations with NATO ally Turkey. Nick Schifrin talks to Pastor Brunson and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who advocated for Brunson’s release, about faith, despair and diplomacy.

Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier of California sits on the House Intelligence and House Oversight Committees, both of which are involved at this phase of the impeachment inquiry. She joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why congressional interviews so far have been private, how the process compares to that of investigations of Benghazi and President Clinton and what she thinks of Republican criticism.

In our news wrap Thursday, the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., lay in state in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall as fellow lawmakers, friends and families paid their respects. Leaders from both parties remembered Cummings as a man of strong moral character. Also, a new wildfire raced across California’s wine country, forcing 2,000 people to evacuate as power companies imposed new blackouts.

In the impeachment inquiry roiling Washington, Republican lawmakers are attacking the way their Democratic counterparts are handling critical interviews. Complaints escalated following testimony from the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine that directly links President Trump to withholding military aid to Ukraine for political favors. Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Judy Woodruff to discuss.

Artificial intelligence and big data are transforming the global economy. Less well understood, however, are the changes they are driving in creative industries specifically. Special correspondent and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell reports on the fundamental questions sophisticated data intelligence and machine learning raise for artists, designers and other creators.