January 16, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

President Trump’s impeachment trial, only the third such proceeding in U.S. history, opened in the Senate Thursday. Chief Justice John Roberts and 99 senators were sworn in to their official trial roles. Meanwhile, new evidence related to Trump’s Ukraine policy was publicly released. Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Judy Woodruff to discuss the trial and Lev Parnas.

In our news wrap Thursday, President Trump moved to give religious groups easier access to federal programs -- and to reaffirm the right to pray in public schools. Nine Cabinet departments proposed rules to ensure faith-based organizations are not discriminated against in the competition for grant funding. Also, the UN reports 350,000 people have fled a new government offensive in northwest Syria.

The Senate has passed a new trade agreement among the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The USMCA, as it’s now called, is meant to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, and it does change or replace some important provisions -- but critics say it is hardly the overhaul that was once advertised. Amna Nawaz reports and speaks to Lori Wallach of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch.

U.S. women won the right to vote a century ago; the fight to instill in the Constitution equal rights regardless of sex is nearly as old. The Equal Rights Amendment was a major national topic in the 1970s -- but it wasn’t until this past Tuesday that the crucial 38th state ratified it. Equality Now's Kate Kelly joins Judy Woodruff to discuss whether the ERA will become part of the Constitution.

Recently, the FDA formally approved the first vaccine to prevent the Ebola virus. The advance comes at a crucial time, as Democratic Republic of Congo is suffering an outbreak that has lasted over a year and a half and sickened more than 3,000. But the death toll would be much higher without the unprecedented rate of medical progress in treatment. Special correspondent Monica Villamizar reports.