September 21, 2023 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Before his mission to Washington, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy first stopped in New York on Tuesday to address the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. Ambassador Victoria Nuland, who is the acting deputy secretary of state for the U.S., joins Amna Nawaz to discuss American policy and global security in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In our news wrap Thursday, the Senate confirmed two more top military nominees after a monthslong blockade, a U.S. government contractor was charged with espionage, Congress heads home for the weekend as a government shutdown looms, Azerbaijan officials met with representatives from the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, and India suspended visa services in Canada amid a widening diplomatic rift.

Over seven decades, Rupert Murdoch assembled a global media empire that includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post. Now, the 92-year-old mogul is stepping down, with his eldest son set to take over in November. NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik joins John Yang to discuss Murdoch’s legacy and successor.

The police use of force Thursday against Alabama high school band director Johnny Mims is sending ripples across the nation. Video of the incident after a football game shows police arresting and tasing Mims after he refused to stop the band’s traditional “fifth quarter” performance. Mims and Alabama state Rep. Juandalynn Givan join Amna Nawaz to discuss what happened.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes a number of incentives to build and buy electric vehicles. For auto manufacturers, that includes incentives for sourcing their parts and raw materials domestically. That presents challenges for some communities — notably in northern Minnesota, where there has been a rise in permit applications for new mines. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.

The Senate is loosening its long-standing dress code requiring business attire, igniting a debate about clothing in the halls of Congress. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., known for wearing shorts and hooded sweatshirts around the Capitol, appreciates the change — but many others do not. Stanford Law School professor Richard Thompson Ford joins Geoff Bennett to discuss the change and what it means.