Pbs Newshour - Politics

The clock is ticking for Congress to claw back more than $9 billion of federal funding for programs, including foreign aid and public media. Friday night is the final deadline for the House to pass the so-called rescissions package, which is a priority for President Trump. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Congress is moving toward revoking a billion dollars in already approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity that steers funds to public media stations. William Brangham discussed the potential impact on PBS with one of the network's most acclaimed filmmakers, Ken Burns. His documentaries covered subjects like the Civil War, baseball, Vietnam, country music and more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Since President Trump signed his sweeping domestic policy bill into law, a key provision that prevents Planned Parenthood clinics from receiving Medicaid funding has already been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. William Brangham discussed the legal challenge with Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Trump administration is giving personal data to immigration authorities to aid its crackdown. The AP reported ICE is getting access to Medicaid data and ProPublica found the IRS is building a program that would give immigration agents unprecedented access to sensitive taxpayer data, including home addresses. William Brangham discussed more with Christopher Bing of ProPublica. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Among the programs targeted for cuts in the White House rescissions package is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It's the independent nonprofit created by Congress to distribute federal funds to more than 1,500 noncommercial TV and radio stations. Tom Abbott of public radio station KFSK in Petersburg, Alaska, joined William Brangham to discuss what’s at stake for rural stations. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Congress is moving toward passing a series of bills that would be the first to regulate the crypto industry. The GENIUS Act regulates stablecoins while the Clarity Act regulates digital currency overall, splitting oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Lisa Desjardins discussed the legislation with Patrick McHenry and Hilary Allen. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump’s immigration enforcement is being felt across the country. Arrests have gone up in every state and more than doubled in 38 states. The biggest increase is happening in Idaho, where ICE has made more than 300 arrests. Farmer Shay Myers, who grows onions and other vegetables in Idaho, joined William Brangham to discuss his immigrant workforce. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A new report shows inflation has picked up and analysts believe the prices of many goods increased, in part, because of President Trump’s tariffs. It will play into decisions by the Federal Reserve about when and whether to cut interest rates and comes as the president and his team have ramped up their pressure campaign on Fed Chair Jerome Powell. William Brangham discussed more with David Wessel. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The White House backed off $400 million in immediate cuts it was proposing in the global fight against HIV and AIDS and potentially other high-profile health programs. It's part of the package of cuts facing the Senate over the next two days. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As the Trump administration ends USAID's mission, a project to bring water to drought-ridden lands is now in peril. In partnership with the Pulitzer Center, William Brangham and producer Molly Knight Raskin traveled to a community in central Kenya to look at the legacy of American foreign aid. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The federal response to the flash flooding disaster in Texas has come under scrutiny. President Trump, who has called for cuts to FEMA, praised the agency during his recent visit to Texas, but did not comment on his plans for its future. William Brangham discussed more with former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump’s big policy act on tax cuts, spending cuts and immigration also has a number of other key provisions that are getting less attention but include big changes. That includes what amounts to a new national school voucher program. Stephanie Sy discussed more with Laura Meckler of The Washington Post. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The White House effort to cut back $9.4 billion of already allocated government spending faces a critical vote in the Senate this week. Some Republicans have concerns about the cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting as the clock ticks to Friday’s deadline to approve or modify the Trump administration plan. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The handling of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s case continues to roil the MAGA world. After repeatedly claiming there were scandalous, criminal details about Epstein being hidden from the public, some of those same people are now saying there’s nothing to see. But key figures from the president’s base allege that a cover-up continues. William Brangham reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

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 the political fallout of the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, the White House effort to claw back funding for foreign aid and public media and the public opinion on immigration raids. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Friday, the State Department is laying off at least 1,300 employees as part of the Trump administration's effort to scale back the federal workforce, an appeals court threw out a plea deal for the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and police in Baltimore are investigating a suspected mass overdose event that saw more than two dozen people sent to the hospital. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the federal response to the flooding disaster in Texas, another round of tariff threats from President Trump and reflections on the life and career of David Gergen. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the green light to reorganize agencies and begin the process of mass firings of federal workers. The reductions in force had been on hold for months, but tens of thousands of employees at nearly 20 agencies could soon be out of work. Lisa Desjardins discussed where things stand with Everett Kelley of the American Federation of Government Employees. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Justice Department has fired several officials involved in the Jan. 6 criminal prosecution and others have been demoted to low-level positions. They are the latest moves that some say are part of a retribution campaign against anyone who worked on the investigation. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López spoke with Greg Rosen, one of the prosecutors who led that case. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders