January 23, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

On day 33 of the government shutdown, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House won't host the president's State of the Union address until the shutdown is resolved. In response, President Trump said Pelosi is "afraid of the truth." Meanwhile, some Democrats are considering a new plan for $5.7 billion in border security, but no wall. Judy Woodruff talks to Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins.

In our Wednesday news wrap, Afghan intelligence says the Taliban commander who orchestrated Monday’s deadly attack on a security complex has been killed in an airstrike. The Taliban dispute the claim. Also, Pope Francis arrived in Panama, kicking off a Central American tour during which he is expected to address thousands of youth and speak out against the impulse to view migrants with fear.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on two funding proposals Thursday, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., says he hasn't given up hope that the one to reopen the government for two weeks will pass. Judy Woodruff talks to Sen. Van Hollen about the "poison pills" included in President Trump's most recent proposal and why the short-term funding deal represents a bipartisan "best alternative" for now.

Amidst huge crowds of supporters in Caracas, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó proclaimed himself interim president until new elections can be held. The Trump administration was quick to back Guaidó, and the country's nominal president, Nicolás Maduro, broke off U.S. relations as a result. Nick Schifrin reports on why this challenge may represent a "perfect storm" Maduro can't withstand.

The weeks-long partial government shutdown has many Americans losing faith. But at the same time, groups are coalescing to provide support to the hundreds of thousands of federal employees going without their paychecks. Across the country, airports are setting up food pantries, banks are offering interest-free loans and schools are hosting job fairs in an effort to pitch in. Amna Nawaz reports.

Viruses like avian flu, Ebola and Marburg often fester in animals before moving into human populations. Animals in regions that are geographically remote present particular challenges for disease containment. But in Thailand, local residents are using technology, including digital scanning, to track animals and stop outbreaks before they start. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.

High school valedictorians are the best in their class academically. But a new report finds that the top graduates of Boston’s public high schools are encountering great obstacles to attaining educational and economic milestones. John Yang talks to the Boston Globe's Malcolm Gay, one of the story's reporters, about how former stars are struggling and why success takes more than scholarship money.

Tech leader and philanthropist Jean Case has written a book describing what she sees as the five key principles needed for achieving transformative success. The book, “Be Fearless,” leverages years of research conducted by the Case Foundation, where she is CEO. Judy Woodruff sits down with the author to discuss why she is sharing this roadmap for breakthrough.

Author, columnist and humorist Russell Baker has died at age 93. We remember the media icon, who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his writing and hosted "Masterpiece Theater" for more than a decade.