PBS News Hour

President Biden took to the South Lawn of the White House Monday using his lame duck status to spare a flock of fowl from the chopping block this holiday season. Deema Zein reports.

President-elect Trump continues to round out his Cabinet, including some key economic appointments. He's chosen billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent for treasury secretary and for commerce, he's chosen Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and a big backer of tariffs. William Brangham discussed what these choices mean for Trump's agenda with David Wessel.

In our news wrap Monday, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. says a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is close, Russian rockets injured more than 30 people in a wave of strikes on two of Ukraine's largest cities and at least 17 people are missing in Egypt after a tourist boat sank in rough waters in the Red Sea.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join William Brangham to discuss the latest political news, including the major federal felony cases against President-elect Trump are dropped, Trump's success with young men and the electoral gender divide.

At the U.N. climate talks in Azerbaijan, negotiators struck a deal at the last moment. Wealthy nations pledged $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change and to help their transition to cleaner energy. It’s nowhere near the $1 trillion a year that many experts and analysts say is needed. William Brangham discussed more with Manish Bapna.

The Venezuelan opposition accused the Maduro government of "besieging" opposition figures who have taken shelter in the Argentine embassy in Caracas. The U.S. called the presence of Venezuelan police outside the embassy a violation of international law. Nick Schifrin looks at this summer’s disputed election and speaks with the head of the opposition, Maria Corina Machado.

Across the nation, hundreds of military sites have contaminated waterways with toxic “forever chemicals.” In part two of our series, special correspondent Megan Thompson reports on the potential health impacts of that toxic water and the veterans who fear it has made them sick.

There’s a noticeable pattern across some of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees: allegations of sexual misconduct or assault. Trump himself has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct and found liable in civil court of sexual abuse, and his return to office is raising questions about the future of the #MeToo movement. Law professor Deborah Tuerkheimer joins Laura Barrón-López to discuss.

More than 15 million U.S. adults have currently been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, according to a recent CDC report. The report also noted that most adults with ADHD struggle with access to treatment for the condition. Ali Rogin speaks with Maggie Sibley, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, to learn more.

In our news wrap Sunday, a Lebanese Army soldier was killed as Israel and Hezbollah traded cross-border attacks, Netanyahu called the death of a rabbi in the UAE a terror incident, world leaders reached an agreement at COP29 to help developing nations cope with climate change, and former Oklahoma Sen. Fred Harris and former game show host Chuck Woolery have died.

It’s been nearly two months since Hurricane Helene devastated communities across the Southeast. Experts say the storm’s effect on children might last for years to come. Ali Rogin speaks with Lori Peek, director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, to learn more.

Trump has made his picks for key public health roles in his administration, nominating family medicine doctor and Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat to be the next surgeon general, Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. Marty Makary to lead the FDA, and former Florida congressman Dr. Dave Weldon as director of the CDC. Politico reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein joins Laura Barrón-López to discuss.