On Thursday's NewsHour...

ON THE NEWSHOUR -- February 18, 2010 at 5:20 PM EDT

On Thursday's NewsHour...

Here's a look at what you'll find on Thursday's PBS NewsHour:

Deficit Commission: President Obama signed an executive order Thursday, setting up a bipartisan commission on the federal deficit. Judy Woodruff talks to the panel's co-chairmen: Republican Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles. Watch a preview of their conversation here.

U.S.-China: Today's Washington meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama raised the tension level between the U.S. and Beijing. After a look at the day's developments, Jeffrey Brown talks to two China-watchers for perspective on the state of U.S.-China ties: Susan Shirk, director of the University of California's Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation and a former Clinton administration official; and Gordon Chang, who lived in China and Hong Kong as a lawyer, and now writes a weekly column for Forbes.com.

Haiti Update: We look at the Haiti story in two parts tonight. First, Spencer Michels reports on an effort to deliver wheelchairs for quake survivors in need. Then, Ray Suarez talks to the U.N. point man for Haiti humanitarian efforts, Under-Secretary General John Holmes.

Banking Conversations: Paul Solman continues his series of conversations on bank reform and the future of Wall Street. Tonight he talks with a former head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

All that and Hari Sreenivasan will recap the day's top news stories from our news room. Hari will also tell you what you can find on our Web site tonight, including: a Q&A on U.S.-China relations; video of the Dalai Lama's remarks after his White House meeting; special pages to find all of our coverage on both Haiti and banking reform; and a Jeffrey Brown Web-exclusive with the author of a biography on Joseph Pulitzer.

Jim Lehrer and Jeffrey Brown anchor our coverage tonight. I hope you'll join us.

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Here's a look at what you'll find on Thursday's PBS NewsHour: **Deficit Commission:** President Obama signed an executive order Thursday, setting up a bipartisan commission on the federal deficit. Judy Woodruff talks to the panel's co-chairmen: Republican Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles. Watch a preview of their conversation [here](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/02/president-obama-creates-national-commission-on-debt-reduction.html). **U.S.-China:** Today's Washington meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama raised the tension level between the U.S. and Beijing. After a look at the day's developments, Jeffrey Brown talks to two China-watchers for perspective on the state of U.S.-China ties: Susan Shirk, director of the University of California's [Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation](http://igcc.ucsd.edu/) and a former Clinton administration official; and Gordon Chang, who lived in China and Hong Kong as a lawyer, and now writes a weekly column for [Forbes.com](http://search.forbes.com/search/colArchiveSearch?author=gordon+and+chang&aname=Gordon+Chang). **Haiti Update:** We look at the [Haiti story](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/haiti.html) in two parts tonight. First, Spencer Michels reports on an effort to deliver wheelchairs for quake survivors in need. Then, Ray Suarez talks to the U.N. point man for Haiti humanitarian efforts, Under-Secretary General John Holmes. **Banking Conversations**: Paul Solman continues his [series](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/makingsense/) of conversations on bank reform and the future of Wall Street. Tonight he talks with a former head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. All that and Hari Sreenivasan will recap the day's top news stories from our news room. Hari will also tell you what you can find on our Web site tonight, including: a [Q&A](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/02/qa-where-do-us-china-relations-stand.html) on U.S.-China relations; video of the [Dalai Lama's remarks](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/02/obama-holds-largely-symbolic-meeting-with-dalai-lama.html) after his White House meeting; special pages to find all of our coverage on both [Haiti](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/haiti.html) and [banking reform](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/share.html?s=news01pdfd); and a Jeffrey Brown [Web-exclusive](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/02/new-biography-looks-at-pulitzers-legacy.html) with the author of a biography on Joseph Pulitzer. Jim Lehrer and Jeffrey Brown anchor our coverage tonight. I hope you'll join us.