January 8, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

For a congressional Republican’s perspective on the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, we turn to Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a former Marine who deployed twice to Iraq as a commander of intelligence teams. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why he supported the decision to kill Gen. Qassem Soleimani and what he expects next from Iran.

For a congressional Democrat’s take on the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, we turn to Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Crow is a lawyer and former Army Ranger who deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan during his military career. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why he is not satisfied with the Trump administration’s handling of the Soleimani strike.

In our news wrap Wednesday, half a million Puerto Ricans are without power and more than 250,000 have no running water a day after Tuesday’s earthquake -- the strongest the island has felt since 1918. Fearful of aftershocks, some residents slept outside. Also, the standoff between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over a Senate impeachment trial continues.

A Ukrainian International Airlines passenger plane went down outside the Iranian capital of Tehran early Wednesday morning, killing all 176 people aboard. Iranian authorities offered conflicting explanations for the crash but rejected the idea that a missile had caused it. Ukrainian airline officials said the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, built in 2016, was in good working condition. John Yang reports.

As devastating bushfires continue to burn across Australia, how is the country’s government responding? William Brangham speaks with David Littleproud, Australia’s minister for natural disaster and emergency management, about fighting fires while also embarking upon a recovery effort, whether the country has enough personnel and equipment and how it's preparing for hotter, longer fire seasons.

Individualized medicine, in which treatments are customized based on a patient’s unique DNA, is a rising field. Along with an ever-expanding genetic database, it offers tantalizing promise for solving some of medicine's most daunting challenges. But individualized medicine also carries with it questions and risks -- both moral and medical. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports.