PBS NewsHour

State governments continue to crack down on flavored e-cigarettes and other vape products, largely in response to the deaths and illnesses that began coming to light this past summer. But as lawmakers deliberate over their policy response to vaping, researchers are still trying to understand the cause of the illnesses. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports.

In 434 written pages and more than five hours of live testimony, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz shared his perspective on how the FBI conducted itself in the early stages of its Russia investigation. How serious are his findings, and what happens now for the FBI? Former FBI official Frank Montoya and former federal prosecutor James Trusty join Judy Woodruff to discuss.

In our news wrap Wednesday, the House opened debate on a Democratic bill to lower prescription drug costs through government negotiations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appealed for bipartisan support, but Sen. Mitch McConnell said he won’t bring the bill up for a vote. Also, the Justice Department is appealing a federal judge’s ruling against spending Pentagon funds on a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The origins of the Russia investigation were under the microscope on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Michael Horowitz, inspector general for the Department of Justice, sat for a day-long hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee about his recent report examining accusations of political bias in the FBI and how the bureau conducted itself in the early months of the probe. William Brangham reports.

A day after a deadly shootout with police left six people dead in northern New Jersey, law enforcement and city officials are trying to understand what happened. Among the possible motives being considered: anti-Semitism. John Yang speaks to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop about being “aggressive and deliberate” in calling out violent hate and how the community is reacting to the tragedy.

The United Kingdom goes to the polls Thursday in what is being considered the most significant election since the end of World War II. Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson needs a clear majority in Parliament to force through a deal for a January Brexit. But as special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports, British voters have trust issues with both Johnson and Labour rival Jeremy Corbyn.

In 2017, the Myanmar military unleashed a reign of terror on Rohingya Muslims. According to the U.N., soldiers tortured, raped and killed civilians, driving hundreds of thousands to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Now the International Court of Justice is trying Myanmar for genocide -- as a human rights advocate defends its actions. Nick Schifrin talks to John Dale of George Mason University.

In our news wrap Tuesday, Attorney General William Barr blasted the FBI’s probe into links between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. The Justice Department’s internal watchdog found that the investigation was flawed but not motivated by political bias. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he warned Russia not to interfere in the 2020 elections, calling such action "unacceptable."

After months of discussion, congressional Democrats have struck a deal with the Trump administration over trade with Mexico and Canada. If passed by Congress, the USMCA will be the United States’ largest single trade agreement, with trillions of dollars in goods flowing both ways. Amna Nawaz reports and talks to The Wilson Center’s Christopher Wilson about what changed from NAFTA--and what didn’t.

The fallout regarding President Trump’s Ukraine policy reached a new milestone on Tuesday, as the House Judiciary Committee introduced two articles of impeachment against the president. But at the same time, recently warring congressional Republicans and Democrats arrived at a major bipartisan agreement on trade. Lisa Desjardins reports and joins Judy Woodruff and Yamiche Alcindor to discuss.

Tuesday marked the release of yet another stark report detailing how the increased warming of our atmosphere is transforming the planet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s annual Arctic Report Card includes some grim news for wildlife, native communities and global sea-level rise. William Brangham talks to Dartmouth College’s Erich Osterberg about the impact of melting ice.

Millennials are increasingly reevaluating their relationship with alcohol. A movement known as “sober curious” is gaining popularity with these young adults, who are questioning both the physical effects of alcohol and the way drinking is ingrained in American culture. And now, bars and breweries are looking to capitalize on the trend by offering alcohol-free options. Hari Sreenivasan reports.

Nearly a year ago, President Trump signed a bipartisan federal criminal justice reform bill that reduced mandatory sentences. Many states followed suit -- but not Maryland. In collaboration with the University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, John Yang reports on the uncertain fate of prisoners who are still serving life sentences for crimes they committed as minors.

For nearly two decades, the United States’ military engagement in Afghanistan has been plagued by strategic missteps, according to The Washington Post's bombshell report. The investigation examined thousands of pages of previously unpublished notes and interviews from the U.S. government’s Lessons Learned project analyzing the war. Nick Schifrin talks to retired Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute.

In our news wrap Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held their first one-on-one meeting. It came in Paris, after the two met with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel for broader talks at a peace summit. Also, North Korea fired hostile new words at President Trump, calling him “a heedless and erratic old man.”

In a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Democrats summed up their case for impeachment of President Trump, saying his handling of Ukraine policy represented a “clear and present danger” to American elections. Republicans pushed back on the integrity of the investigation, calling it a rush to judgment. Nick Schifrin reports and Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss.

On the 2020 campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg have been challenging each other over transparency and potential connections to corporate interests. Another major issue is support among African American voters, with whom former Vice President Joe Biden continues to lead. Meanwhile, Sen. Cory Booker lamented the all-white lineup for the upcoming debate. Amna Nawaz reports.

A long-awaited report into the origins of the Russia probe found no evidence of a political conspiracy against President Trump. But the Justice Department’s inspector general criticized the FBI’s handling of wiretap applications used in the early stages of the investigation. William Brangham reports and Judy Woodruff talks to John Carlin, former assistant attorney general for national security.

Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill,” released in 1995, became the angry and raw soundtrack of a generation. Now, the Grammy-winning album -- which sold 33 million copies -- is the basis of a musical that just opened on Broadway. During the show’s initial Boston run, special correspondent Jared Bowen explored how Morissette’s music accompanies the story of a contemporary family's unraveling.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including campaign sparring between Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg and which candidates might leverage it, how much transparency matters to Democratic voters, lack of racial diversity in the next debate and reaction to the inspector general’s report on the Russia probe.