In our news wrap Wednesday, the rising Mississippi River and its tributaries have overwhelmed towns across parts of Missouri and Illinois. At least 20 people have been killed in the region and flood waters are expected to hit record levels. Also, snowfall has deepened the Sierra Nevada snowpack to higher than normal levels in California, offering some relief from extreme drought. Continue reading →

Comedian Bill Cosby has been charged with sexual assault in connection to allegations that he drugged and fondled Andrea Constand in 2004. That comes after dozens of accusations made by other women. William Brangham learns more from Maryclaire Dale of the Associated Press. Continue reading →

Congress ended 2015 on an unusually productive note. A $1 trillion compromise passed with a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, and problems that lawmakers had kicked down the road year after year finally made it into law. Political director Lisa Desjardins takes a look back. Continue reading →

Tuesday on the NewsHour, Iraqi forces declare a victory over the Islamic State in the city of Ramadi. Also: Guinea is declared free of the Ebola virus, questions about a new cybersecurity law, a punishing drought in Puerto Rico and the winner of the National Book Award for poetry. Continue reading →

In our news wrap Tuesday, Chicago policeman Jason Van Dyke pleaded not guilty of first-degree murder for killing of black teenager Laquan McDonald. Also, protesters gathered in Cleveland a day after a grand jury refused to indict two police officers for killing 12-year-old Tamir Rice. Continue reading →

After a seven-month siege by the Islamic State militant group, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi planted his country’s flag in Ramadi after government troops retook the city center. But the battle isn’t completely over: Militants remain in other parts of the city. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner reports on the victory, while Gwen Ifill talks to Matt Bradley of The Wall Street Journal. Continue reading →

Guinea, the first country hit with the deadly Ebola outbreak nearly two years ago, is now free of the disease, according the the World Health Organization. More than 2,500 people died in that nation before the virus was fully contained. William Brangham talks with Sheri Fink of The New York Times. Continue reading →

Folded into the massive spending and tax cut bill was a significant and controversial new law on cybersecurity. The act encourages private companies to share data about hacks with the government, but it’s raising questions among security advocates and privacy groups alike. Jeffrey Brown talks to James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Elissa Shevinsky of JeKuDo. Continue reading →

The tropical island of Puerto Rico has been scrambling for a precious resource: clean, fresh water. Puerto Ricans have faced the worst drought in more than 20 years and the most stringent water rationing ever imposed. Special correspondent Chris Bury reports. Continue reading →

“Voyage of the Sable Venus,” the first collection from Robin Coste Lewis, is the winner of this year’s National Book Award for poetry. Lewis discussed her debut, her readers and her influences with Jeffrey Brown at the Miami Book Festival. Continue reading →