The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly all Middle Eastern oil flows, has prompted Saudi Arabia to call for a maritime defense coalition to protect Red Sea shipping. For perspective on the proposal, Geoff Bennett spoke with Ian Ralby. He's a global maritime security expert, president of Auxilium Worldwide, and a senior fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination to lead the Department of Justice full-time is in limbo. Two Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, say they will oppose Blanche's nomination unless the DOJ kills a $1.8 billion fund to provide payments to people who believe they have been wrongfully prosecuted. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Devlin Barrett. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A Missouri couple who had illegally immigrated to the United States was killed in Guatemala after the husband was deported and the wife self-deported. Now two communities in two countries are reeling and searching for answers. Lisa Desjardins discussed more with Brian Munoz of St. Louis Public Radio, who broke this story. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Violence surged in the West Bank this past weekend when Palestinians say Israeli settlers burned two mosques following deadly clashes. The UN accuses Israeli settlers of increasing their attacks and footprint in the West Bank, the land that Palestinians hope will be their future state. Israel says it is Palestinians committing the violence. Producer Karl Bostic and Nick Schifirn report. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

As high-profile battles over redistricting have become a fixture in political headlines, a group of scholars is sounding the alarm on the consequences of gerrymandering. In an open letter to Congress, they are urging lawmakers to consider proportional representation. Amna Nawaz discussed the proposal with Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan. It's part of our series, On Democracy. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Music has long been one of America's most influential cultural exports. In this episode of "In Pursuit of Happiness," Judy Woodruff talks with music historian Ted Gioia and journalist Sidney Madden about the Black and Indigenous roots of American music, the power of protest songs and how music continues to shape our understanding of who we are. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of America's COVID response, repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right before a Senate committee on Wednesday. The hearing, chaired by Republican Sen. Rand Paul, was meant to probe the origins of COVID-19 and whether Fauci misled Congress and the public. Fauci called Paul's pursuit of him an "unhinged obsession." Ali Rogin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Dr. Anthony Fauci helped lead the White House pandemic response for Presidents Trump and Biden and is now retired from government service. He appeared under congressional subpoena and invoked his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times during questioning. Amna Nawaz discussed the hearing and Fauci's legacy with Katherine Wu, who wrote "The Unmaking of Anthony Fauci" for The Atlantic. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The brief pause in the war with Iran appears to be over. President Trump used blunt language to threaten Iran with further strikes in response to new Iranian attacks on a U.S. base in Jordan. The war also appears to be spreading, with a new explosion reported in Egypt, and joint U.S.-Saudi strikes in Iraq. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For perspective on the effects of the U.S. and Iran trading strikes and the widening war in the region, Geoff Bennett spoke with Feisal Istrabadi, a former Iraqi diplomat and the founding director of the Center for the Study of the Middle East at Indiana University Bloomington. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy