August 29, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

The U.S. government spends about 0.7 percent of GDP on scientific research and development, down from 2 percent in the 1960s. Less investment means fewer chances for breakthroughs like the weapon-seeking robots that saved thousands of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and created a new consumer products category. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on an effort to jump-start public R&D.

After missing Puerto Rico, Hurricane Dorian veered toward the U.S. Virgin Islands, battering them with drenching rains and strong winds. The Category 1 storm now appears to be headed for Florida, but its path is difficult to predict. Still, Florida residents were stocking up on supplies and preparing for the worst. Judy Woodruff talks to Ken Graham, director of the National Hurricane Center.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan is currently on a three-day trip to Central America to discuss migration and border security with leaders in El Salvador. Reporting from San Salvador, Amna Nawaz joins Judy Woodruff to talk about McAleenan's agenda, gang violence and whether the Trump administration’s strategy to reduce Central American migration to the U.S. will succeed.

The war between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists is in its sixth year, with around 13,000 dead and no sign of resolution. The U.S. has provided financial support to Ukraine, but not soldiers. And although there is no U.S. troop presence anywhere near the fight, some American citizens have elected to join the battle on their own. Special correspondent Simon Ostrovsky shares one such story.

The Trump administration’s latest move on immigration sparked outrage and confusion when it was announced, but Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, says the reaction was unwarranted and that "all the same people still become citizens." Cuccinelli talks to Judy Woodruff about the motivation behind that change and other recent immigration policy updates

In an effort to boost production of oil and natural gas, the Trump administration is planning to relax rules regarding the release of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. William Brangham reports and talks to The Wall Street Journal’s Timothy Puko about what higher levels of methane mean for the environment, how technology can prevent leaks of the gas and a "big divide" within the industry.