March 19, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

William Burns, former deputy secretary of state and ambassador to Russia, may have spent more time with Vladimir Putin than other American diplomat. In his book, “The Back Channel,” Burns discusses how a “sense of grievance” underlies Putin's interactions with the U.S. Judy Woodruff talks to Burns about a "failure of imagination" on Syria and the current state of American diplomacy.

A tropical cyclone tore through Mozambique on Friday, triggering mass floods and leaving immense destruction in its wake. More than 200 deaths have been attributed to the storm so far. Amid flattened and submerged buildings, aid workers struggle to reach the stranded in a country where nearly half the population is under age 15. Meanwhile, electricity is out nearly everywhere. Amna Nawaz reports.

In our news wrap Tuesday, flooding in the Midwest has claimed three lives and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Scores of cities and counties have declared emergencies as the Missouri and Platte Rivers flow beyond their banks. Also, a new Associated Press analysis finds that far more records have been broken for heat in the U.S. over the last 20 years than for cold temperatures.

At the White House on Tuesday, President Trump welcomed Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, in the latter’s first bilateral foreign visit. The two leaders share many similar views, as they reiterated at a press conference, and Bolsonaro represents Brazil’s first pro-U.S. leader in decades. Nick Schifrin reports on how the two presidents hope to align their countries on trade and politics.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development assists more than five million families with affording their rent, among other programs. Yamiche Alcindor talks to HUD Secretary Ben Carson about his reaction to President Trump's rhetoric on race, whether Carson plans to remain in his position, HUD achievements during his tenure and criticism he's received about his use of government resources.

After nearly five years of fighting, a U.S.-led coalition has almost completely destroyed what's known as the territorial caliphate, the Islamic pseudo-state created in Iraq and Syria by ISIS--but that doesn’t mean the end of the terror group. Amna Nawaz talks to special correspondent Jane Ferguson for an on-the-ground look at what war has left behind in Syria and the threat that remains.

Outrage has swirled since federal prosecutors charged 50 people, including CEOs and high-profile celebrities, in an intricate scheme to secure college admission for their children through extensive cheating and bribery. High school students share their perspectives on the scandal and broader inequalities in education, and John Yang talks to Jayne Fonash, an independent college consultant.