Health Dec 26 How a state's choice on Medicaid expansion affects hospitals In negotiating the creation of the Affordable Care Act, hospitals took a big gamble, with the expectation that they would soon have millions of new Medicaid customers. In states that expanded Medicaid, the bet paid off. Sarah Varney of Kaiser…
Economy Dec 26 Why was 2014 a year of mergers and mega deals? 2014 has been a banner year for corporate mergers, with more than $3 trillion in deals announced worldwide. What kind of impact do these deals have on the companies, employees and the economy? Hari Sreenivasan learns more from Andrew Ross…
World Dec 26 News Wrap: Southeast Asia marks 10 years since catastrophic tsunami In our news wrap Friday, nations around the rim of the Indian Ocean marked the 10th anniversary of a devastating tsunami that led to the deaths of almost 230,000 people. Also, activists and witnesses reported that the Syrian government dropped…
Episode Dec 25 PBS NewsHour full episode Dec. 25, 2014 Thursday on the NewsHour, we get a glimpse of the push to bring “The Interview” to movie theaters. Also: A movement to prevent employers from asking about criminal convictions, how Pope Francis cultivated his populist appeal, the Ukraine-Russia conflict divides…
Dec 25 How Pope Francis' upbringing shaped his role as reformer From his simple lifestyle to his active engagement in diplomacy, Pope Francis has distinguished himself as the leader of the Catholic Church. Jeffrey Brown talks to Austen Ivereigh, author of a new biography, “The Great Reformer,” about the ways the…
Education Dec 25 What will sink and what will survive as states test Common Core? In 2008, a set of academic standards for U.S. public schools called the Common Core was created for states to voluntarily implement. Intended to raise the bar for American students and teachers, many states that originally signed on are now…
Nation Dec 25 Banning 'the box' to give ex-convicts a better chance at finding a job Many employers require job applicants to disclose any criminal history, often preventing those with a record from reentering the workforce. But Illinois is one of a number of states working to change this, with a new law prohibiting employers from…
World Dec 25 Ukraine-Russia conflict doesn't stop at the church door In Ukraine, religion is another battlefront in the conflict between pro-Russia and pro-Ukraine supporters. Special correspondent Kira Kay reports on the political pressures that have divided congregations.
Arts Dec 25 Independent theaters rally behind 'The Interview' Moviegoers lined up at independent theaters to see “The Interview,” a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un. After criticism from President Obama and others, Sony Pictures reinstated the release of the film in some theaters and via…