2009 NOVEMBER
Nov. 25, 2009

India Envoy: Obama's Emissions Pledge 'Welcome,' Had Hoped for More
Judy Woodruff spoke Wednesday with Shyam Saran, the Indian prime minister's special envoy on climate change, about President Obama's trip to the Copenhagen climate change summit and the U.S. emissions reduction goal. Here are Web-only excerpts:

Nov. 25, 2009

How Would Obama's Troops Decision Impact Afghan War?
Margaret Warner sits down with two reporters who cover the Pentagon to sort through the various options President Obama is likely weighing as he prepares to make an announcement on the war in Afghanistan.

  

Nov. 25, 2009

Experts Sound Off on Expectations for Copenhagen, U.S. Role
President Obama announced Wednesday he will make an appearance Dec. 9 at the Copenhagen climate summit on on his way to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize. The NewsHour spoke with a panel of experts about expectations for the summit.

Nov. 24, 2009

Stakes High as Obama Weighs Deploying More Troops
Judy Woodruff speaks with a panel of experts about what is at stake for the U.S. and Afghanistan as President Obama prepares to tweak his administration's strategy there.

  

Nov. 24, 2009

Obama on Brink of Unveiling New Afghan Strategy
President Obama said Tuesday that he is ready to unveil his decision about whether to deploy more troops to Afghanistan next week. Margaret Warner reports.

  

Nov. 24, 2009

Afghan Strategy Decision Expected 'Within Days'
A White House spokesman said Tuesday that President Barack Obama plans to reveal his decision on whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan "within days" after holding a late-evening meeting with his top foreign policy and military advisers.

Nov. 23, 2009

Senate Debate on Health Care Will Put Lawmakers to the Test
While health care reform passed a key Senate hurdle over the weekend, the legislation still faces a full-scale floor debate. Judy Woodruff asks former secretaries of health to preview the road ahead for President Obama's top domestic priority.

  

Nov. 19, 2009

Complex U.S.-China Ties Took Center Stage on Obama's Asia Trip
President Obama concluded a four-nation Asian tour Thursday that marked a potential turning point in relations between the U.S. and an increasingly influential China. A panel of Asia experts discusses the trip's high points and low points with Jeffrey Brown.

  

Nov. 19, 2009

Senate Gears Up for Showdown Over Health Reform Bill
The Senate on Thursday inched closer to debating Majority Leader Harry Reid's $848 billion health care reform bill, despite stiff GOP resistance. After a report from Betty Ann Bowser, Susan Dentzer explains the details.

  

Nov. 17, 2009

Chinese President Vows Cooperation on Climate Change
Talks between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao yielded a promise of slowing down climate change and nuclear proliferation, but fell short of making progress on human rights. Kwame Holman reports.

  

Nov. 17, 2009

U.S. Presidents in China
From the first U.S. presidential visit to China by Richard Nixon to President Barack Obama's current trip, each president has weighed foreign policy priorities when dealing with the communist nation. Historian Richard Norton Smith describes the balancing act U.S. presidents have played over the years.

  

Nov. 17, 2009

Obama Unveils Financial Fraud Task Force
President Obama issued an executive order Tuesday establishing a multi-agency task force to crack down on financial fraud.

Nov. 17, 2009

Obama Cites Human Rights, Currency in China
Talks between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao yielded pledges to cooperate on climate change and the economy, but little by way of human rights and upping the value of the yuan currency.

Nov. 16, 2009

Beijing Residents React to President Obama's Visit
GlobalPost correspondent Josh Shin gets reactions from Beijing residents about President Obama's three-day trip to China.

  

Nov. 16, 2009

U.S., China Explore Deeper Ties as Partners, Contenders
Jim Lehrer speaks with a panel of China experts about the political and economic implications of U.S.-China relations.

  

Nov. 16, 2009

In China, Obama Pushes for More Freedoms
During his visit to China, President Obama urged the government to scale back its censorship, but he also called for more cooperation with the U.S.

  

Nov. 16, 2009

Trip to Set Tone for U.S.-China Relations, Analyst Says
President Barack Obama met with Chinese President Hu Jintao Monday during his four-nation Asia tour. China analyst Ming Wan of George Mason University describes potential outcomes of the trip and how the country views Mr. Obama in a Web-only video.

Nov. 16, 2009

Obama Touts Internet Freedoms at Forum in China
President Obama, speaking Monday at a town hall-style forum with Chinese university students in Shanghai, made a pitch for greater access to the Internet and social-networking sites, calling such freedom a source of strength.

Nov. 13, 2009

Shields and Brooks Gauge 9/11 Trials, Afghan Troop Decision
Columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks break down the top political headlines of the past week, including Justice Department plans to try five Guantanamo Bay detainees in federal court in New York, and President Obama's Afghan strategy review.

  

Nov. 13, 2009

On Asia Tour, Obama Tests New Dynamic With Japan
President Obama kicked off a nine-day trip to Asia on Friday with a visit to Japan, where the newly elected prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, is seeking a more "equal partnership" with the U.S. and the closing of an unpopular Marine base in Okinawa. Jeffrey Brown reports.

  

Nov. 13, 2009

Holder: 9/11 Trials Will Weigh 'Crime of the Century'
In an interview with Jim Lehrer, Attorney General Eric Holder discusses the decision to prosecute the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees in civilian federal court in New York, calling the stakes "enormous."

  

Nov. 13, 2009

Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Among Detainees to Face Trial in N.Y.
The Justice Department on Friday announced plans to try suspected 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees, in federal court. Ray Suarez reports.

  

Nov. 13, 2009

Obama Seeks to Reinforce Key Alliances on Asian Tour
President Barack Obama arrived in Japan on Friday at the start of his weeklong tour of key allied Asian nations. His visit is aimed at strengthening allegiances and tackling climate change, Afghanistan and the global economy.

Nov. 13, 2009

Holder: 9/11 Suspects 'Must Face Ultimate Justice'
The five men accused of plotting the Sept. 11 attacks, including the alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will stand trial in a civilian federal court in New York City, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Friday.

Nov. 12, 2009

The Overload Factor: Is President Obama Too Busy?
As President Obama departs for Asia, he leaves a full menu of unfinished business at home: two wars to manage, a struggling economy and his push for health care reform, to name a few. Jim Lehrer speaks to a panel of experts about the so-called "overload factor" for presidents.

  

Nov. 12, 2009

Competing Philosophies Emerge in Review of Afghan Strategy
President Obama has ordered his top advisers to revise the Afghan war options they presented him. That word came after the top U.S. diplomat in Afghanistan warned against sending large new numbers of troops. Judy Woodruff talks to a reporter for more.

  

Nov. 12, 2009

White House Nominates New Leader to Revive USAID
The White House has named its USAID head nominee, after 10 months of a leadership vacuum that prompted public statements of frustration from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Nov. 11, 2009

On Veterans Day, Obama Faces Afghan Decision
On the day that veterans around the country are honored for their service, President Barack Obama is set to meet with his top military advisers to continue discussions about the possibility of sending more troops to Afghanistan.

Nov. 10, 2009

News Wrap: White House Disputes Reports of Afghan Troop Surge
In other news, White House officials insisted President Obama has not decided how many more troops to send to Afghanistan, and a suicide car bombing in Pakistan killed at least 24 people.

  

Nov. 9, 2009

Battle Lines Emerge in Senate Over Health Care Reform
After narrowly passing the House late Saturday, the focus of the health care reform push now moves to the Senate, where a range of issues, including the public option, and how the bill treats abortion, may prove contentious topics of debate.

  

Nov. 6, 2009

Shields, Brooks Examine GOP's 'Morale Boost'
Columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks sort through the week's news, including impending health care legislation and a worsening job market.

  

Nov. 6, 2009

Democrats' Health Bill Nears House Vote
Betty Ann Bowser speaks with key policymakers about the ongoing health care debate surrounding House Democrats' new reform proposal.

  

Nov. 5, 2009

Shooter in Deadly Fort Hood Attack Remains Alive
The U.S. Army says one of its own soldiers, a military psychiatrist, carried out a shooting rampage Thursday afternoon in Fort Hood, Texas, that left at least 12 people dead and injured 31 others.

Nov. 5, 2009

Endorsements, Protests Mark Health Care Debate
House Democrats' health reform plan received AARP's backing Thursday, but thousands of protesters rallied against the plan on Capitol Hill. Kwame Holman reports.

  

Nov. 5, 2009

Aid for Jobless, Homebuyers Clears Congress
Congress has passed legislation that would expand a popular homebuyer's tax credit and extend unemployment benefits in a bid to breathe more life into the struggling American economy.

OCTOBER
Oct. 30, 2009

Clinton: Pakistan 'Making Progress' Against Extremists
In a Friday interview with Margaret Warner in Islamabad, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed the goals of her Pakistan trip, how she is encouraged by the country's battle against extremists and the administration's upcoming decision on an Afghan strategy.

  

Oct. 30, 2009

Obama Meets With Top Pentagon Brass on Way Forward in Afghanistan
For the first time since President Barack Obama kicked off a formal review of his Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy in late September, he met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday to help determine the way forward.

Oct. 30, 2009

Obama Announces End of HIV Travel Ban
Foreigners infected with HIV will be allowed to travel and immigrate to the United States without restriction, President Barack Obama said Friday, announcing the repeal of a twenty-year-old travel ban.

Oct. 29, 2009

Ex-State Department Official Explains Exit Over Afghan War Strategy
In an interview with Judy Woodruff, Matthew Hoh, the first U.S. official known to resign in protest to America's presence in Afghanistan, discusses his objections to the war.

  

Oct. 29, 2009

House Health Care Bill Features Public Option Compromise
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled an $894 billion health care reform bill Thursday that would expand insurance coverage to as many as 36 million people. In a nod to moderates, the plan includes a public option in which rates are negotiated with doctors and hospitals. Betty Ann Bowser reports.

  

Oct. 29, 2009

Economy Shows New Signs of Growth, but Jobs Still Lag
The U.S. economy ended a year of contraction in the third quarter, expanding by 3.5 percent. While much of the growth is being attributed to President Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan, critics continue to ask, when will jobs return?

  

Oct. 29, 2009

U.S. Economy Rebounds 3.5% in Third Quarter
The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.5 percent annual pace from July to September, according to Commerce Department figures released Thursday, in a signal that the worst recession since the 1930s may be easing.

Oct. 28, 2009

Crackdown Targets Banks Deemed 'Too Big to Fail'
The head of a key House committee unveiled legislation Wednesday that would grant the federal government sweeping new powers to police giant financial firms. Jim Lehrer talks to two financial analysts about the debate over "too big to fail" institutions.

  

Oct. 28, 2009

Deadly Car Bombing Clouds Clinton's Visit to Pakistan
As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Pakistan for meetings with top diplomats, a car bombing in Peshawar struck a crowded market, killing at least 101 people and injuring scores more. Margaret Warner reports from Pakistan on the attack and its impact on Clinton's visit.

  

Oct. 28, 2009

Militant Attacks Kill Scores in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Taliban militants stormed a U.N. guest house Wednesday in Kabul, leaving 12 people dead, including 5 U.N. staffers, and one American. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, a car bombing in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed more than 100 people. Gwen Ifill reports.

  

Oct. 28, 2009

New Strategies Considered to Curb U.S.-Mexico Drug Trade
The U.S. dealt a "significant blow" to one of Mexico's most infamous drug cartels last week after a 19-state drug raid resulted in 300 arrests and millions of dollars in confiscated money. This comes on the heels of new drug policy talks.

Oct. 28, 2009

Bill: Biggest Firms Would Fund Future Rescues
The U.S. government would be given broad new powers to shrink financial firms deemed "too big to fail" and shift the cost of rescuing troubled companies from taxpayers to other large firms, according to draft legislation released Tuesday.

Oct. 27, 2009

Opt-out Clause on Public Option Puts Role of States Back in Spotlight
Among the health reform proposals under debate on Capitol Hill is a plan to allow states to opt out of a public option -- which may help legislation pass through Congress, but how would it work to drive down costs? Two experts discuss the idea with Ray Suarez.

  

Oct. 27, 2009

Renewed Public Option Push in Senate Tests Democratic Unity
The push by the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to include a public option into a health care reform bill drew sharply different reactions on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with liberals voicing support, moderates airing concerns, and Republicans promising a filibuster.

  

Oct. 27, 2009

Iran Seeks Big Changes in Uranium Deal
Iran vowed Tuesday to seek "important changes" in a United Nations plan that would require it to ship its enriched uranium out of the country for processing abroad, raising alarm among Western governments involved in nuclear talks with the country.