PBS News Hour

For the first time in decades, public health data shows a sharp drop in U.S. drug overdose deaths. But at the same time, numbers from the CDC show that fatal overdoses involving antidepressants have been on the rise for the past two decades. John Yang speaks with clinical psychologist and behavioral scientist Alison Athey for more.

It’s been more than three weeks since Hurricane Helene battered parts of the Southeast. The hardest-hit state was North Carolina, where more than 90 people died, 81 people remain unaccounted for and residents face a long road to recovery. Laura Barrón-López reports from Asheville.

Nineteen talented Afghan women, whose university education was cut short by the Taliban, now have a chance to fulfill their dreams in Scotland. They’re all aiming to be doctors and have been given places at Scottish medical schools through a program created in memory of a Scottish aid worker killed in tragic circumstances in Afghanistan 14 years ago. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

If the U.S. wants to use the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as an opportunity for peace, the warring sides are publicly resisting. On Friday, Hamas vowed to keep fighting, Lebanese Hezbollah announced a new phase of its war and Israel announced more military deployments to northern Gaza and the Israeli border with Lebanon. Nick Schifrin reports.

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including how the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could mark a turning point in the war in Gaza, and key moments in the presidential race with less than three weeks to go before Election Day.

Both presidential candidates have their eyes on Michigan as early in-person voting starts Saturday in parts of the state. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris had busy schedules there on Friday. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Sarah Jakober is a U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter who serves on the Grand Ronde Rappel Crew based in Grande, Oregon. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on being a wildland firefighter. Jakober provides a window into a day on the job as climate change lengthens wildfire seasons and intensifies their impact.

Abortion access is a top issue this election at both the state and federal levels. Several states will have measures to protect reproductive rights on their ballots this November. In key battlegrounds, like Arizona and Nevada, these measures could have an impact on the presidential race. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López spent time in both states and has this report.

One of the world's most-hunted men is dead. Hamas military leader and mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli troops in southern Gaza. The terror attacks led to a brutal military response by Israel to destroy Hamas, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza. Nick Schifrin reports.

Hamas military leader and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar has been killed by Israeli troops. For two perspectives on what lies ahead, Amna Nawaz spoke with retired Israeli major general Yaacov Ayish and Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute.

In a blistering report, an independent panel is calling for an overhaul of the Secret Service. The bipartisan panel was commissioned by President Biden after the July assassination attempt on former President Trump. Amna Nawaz discussed the findings and recommendations with Carol Leonnig, author of “Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service."

Over the past few weeks, a series of punishing hurricanes once again illustrated the consequences of climate change. Climate policy is one of the many issues we're covering in the run-up to Election Day. The divide between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on climate change is as stark as any issue facing the country. William Brangham reports.