Jul 04 How past presidents celebrated the Fourth of July By Calvin Woodward, Associated Press In modern times, presidents have tended to stand back and let the people party. Continue reading
Mar 22 Jimmy Carter is now the longest-living president in U.S. history By Bill Barrow, Associated Press Friday is the 172nd day beyond Carter's 94th birthday, exceeding by one day the lifespan of former President George H.W. Bush, who died Nov. 30 at the age of 94 years, 171 days. Both men were born in 1924: Bush… Continue reading
Oct 16 Watch 7:15 Michael Beschloss chronicles American ‘Presidents of War’ When it came to involving the nascent republic in military conflict, one of the founding fathers’ biggest fears was that American presidents would be reckless and aggressive to suit their own agendas. Judy Woodruff sits down with presidential historian Michael… Continue watching
May 28 Watch 8:01 What history teaches us about surviving times of turmoil In "The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels," Jon Meacham tries to offer historical context and a sense of proportion for our current times. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author is best known for his presidential biographies of Andrew… Continue watching
Apr 12 Franklin D. Roosevelt’s painfully eloquent final words By Dr. Howard Markel FDR’s health finally gave out after years of carrying the weight of the United States, and ultimately the free world, on his muscular shoulders. Continue reading
Jul 18 Presidents get sick and die. What happens next hasn’t always been clear By Dr. Howard Markel The Constitution describes the legal transfer of presidential power to the vice president if the former resigns or dies while in office. But this guiding document does little to describe what happens if the president becomes seriously ill, or who… Continue reading
Jun 29 Watch 11:54 How do Trump’s Twitter taunts affect the presidency? By PBS News Hour President Trump's Twitter attack on MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough -- whom he called "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" and "Psycho Joe" -- ignited a firestorm of sharp criticism, even from the president's Republican allies. John Yang reports and… Continue watching
Jan 20 Watch 14:35 How did President Trump fare in his first day on the job? By PBS News Hour It’s Day One of the Trump presidency. After the pomp of the day's ceremony, what should we take away from the actions and rhetoric of the new president? Judy Woodruff gets reaction to President Trump’s unorthodox Inauguration Day speech and… Continue watching
Jan 20 Watch The Obama White House, from the man behind the lens By PBS News Hour For the past eight years, Pete Souza has visually chronicled the Obama era. He was in the situation room when U.S. special forces killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011 and at the prayer service for victims of the Newtown, Connecticut,… Continue watching
Oct 07 Gwen’s Take: The end is in sight By Gwen Ifill Just about a month from now, Election Day will have come and gone. Americans, who appear not to have much taste for either major presidential nominee, will have made their choice. But truth to tell, any politician who is being… Continue reading