PBS News Hour - Full Show - February 23, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode

Episode Date: February 24, 2026

Monday on the News Hour, the killing of a Mexican cartel leader sparks retaliatory violence across parts of Mexico. FBI Director Kash Patel's trip to the Olympics raises questions about the bureau's priorities and use of taxpayer dollars. Plus, as a fragile peace arrangement holds between Syria's new government and its Kurdish minority, we hear from the Kurds' top military leader. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Good evening. I'm Amna Nawaz. And I'm Jeff Bennett. On the news hour tonight, the killing of a Mexican cartel leader sparks retaliatory violence across parts of Mexico, including in tourist towns. FBI director Cash Patel's trip to the Olympics raises questions about the Bureau's priorities and use of taxpayer dollars. And a fragile peace arrangement holds between Syria's new government and its Kurdish minority. We speak with the Kurds top military leader. We want to envision Syria to be rebuilt, but we also want to see the Kurdish regions develop and prosper,

and for Kurds to have their own major roles within the country. Welcome to the News Hour. We are tracking two major stories tonight, including the blizzard that brought travel to a halt in the northeast and is setting record snow levels. But first, we start south of the United States, in Mexico, where the battle against drug cartels has kicked up a worrying wave of violence. Stephanie Syd details why this takedown led to a destructive aftermath and what could be coming next. Tonight, fear continues to brace many parts of Mexico following a weekend of violence. Massive plumes of smoke darken the skies of seaside resort towns and tourist hotspots, but locals are the most threatened. We're scared. We only go out when it's necessary because people don't know where to go out or what to do. The fire set to wreak havoc following the death of drug kingpin Nemesio Osogiera Servantes.

For years, the 59-year-old known as El Mentioncho led the Halisco New Generation Cartel. On Sunday, government forces aided by intelligence from the U.S., led an elaborate operation to capture the crime boss. He was wounded in a shootout and died later. Reaction and revenge were swift, stopping daily life in parts of the night. nation. At the airport in Guadalajara, passengers panicked as shelter and place orders went out. Even families enjoying a weekend outing at the Guadalajara Zoo were forced to stay overnight. From infants to the elderly, the zoo had to find room for more than 1,000 stranded visitors. Police determined it wasn't safe to return to their cities, so they requested the support of

the zoo to stay within our facilities. The most important thing at this moment is to guarantee peace and safety of all of the population, of all of Mexico, and that is being done. Today, there's more tranquility. While President Claudia Schenbaum urged calm, fear of escalating violence has swelled. More than 70 people died in the operation to capture the drug kingpin, including 25 members of the Mexican National Guard. Authority said 30 criminal suspects were killed in Halisco State.

More than 250 car fires known as cartel roadblocks were set across the 20 states where the cartel is known to operate. They were clear today. El Mencho was one of the most wanted men in Mexico and the U.S., where a $15 million reward had been in place for information leading to his capture. Today, Schaembaum vowed to restore order to the country. It is important to say that there is a command center that continues to operate today, a national coordination with all state governments.

Even as charred cars and trucks were cleared off the roadways, residents say life is not back to normal. Well, I came here on an errand, but it's closed. I don't know what's going to happen to all the people today, the people who come to sell their products. Former U.S. military attache to Mexico, now a professor at University of Arizona, Michael Burgoyne says, pressure from the Trump administration played a role. By getting El Mancho, they've kind of handed a scalp over the United States, right? They're like, hey, you wanted us to take action. We've now taken down the most important, you know, most kind of visible, well-known, narco-trafficking leader in Mexico.

But the kingpin strategy has its limits. Just taking down one more kingpin is not going to fix drug use in the United States nor the rule of law in Mexico. These are difficult, complex problems that require a comprehensive solution. Wherever you take out a leader, there's someone waiting to step up and take his place, and that's what a lot of the violence will be connected to. Journalist and author, Deborah Bonello, has covered the cartel for more than 20 years. Mexico's drug trade and organized crime in general is the product of systemic failure across the region.

You know, poverty, a lack of good education, a lack of job opportunities. and absence of the state in many parts of the country, as well as the corruption that is so endemic to local politics and all of the state institutions that are at work here. So it's important to understand that it's not a case of sort of good guys against bad, but really a product of a system that's letting people down and simply doesn't work. For the PBS News Hour, I'm Stephanie Sy. Now to our other major story, parts of the...

the northeast are just beginning to dig out after a powerful storm. In some cases, it was the worst blizzard in a decade, compounding more trouble onto what's already been a difficult winter. It was another winter storm for the ages. Millions on the East Coast waking up to the most snowfall they've seen in years, more than two feet in some areas. This is a once-in-a-lifetime storm. My dog loves it and I'm just going to hunker down inside. Cities slammed, suburbs submerged, and beaches blanketed in snow. Blizzard warnings and states of emergency stretched along the eastern seaboard from Maryland all the way to Maine. The wintry mix and near hurricane-level winds

began swirling over the area yesterday afternoon. It intensified overnight, and by morning, The storm knocked out power for about 500,000 homes and businesses, mostly in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Officials in Providence say the snow was so heavy that they had to order plows off the roads. I know it looks like many roads haven't been touched, but that's because of these high winds. We had to give them a break because the visibility was so low, but they will be back on the roads as soon as the wind dies down a little bit. Right now it is just about safety.

It's a region that only recently started to thaw from an ice storm earlier this year. Forecasters say this snow will melt far more quickly. But for now, daily life is frozen in time. More than 5,000 flights in and out of the U.S. were grounded today. That's on top of 4,000 cancellations from the day before. Advisories and even bans on non-emergency road travel were issued across the region. If you can, remain indoors. New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani encouraged residents to hunker down.

But some couldn't resist clipping on their cross-country skis and hopping in their sleds. The city's public schools were closed completely, unlike the last storm, where students had to log on for remote learning. I hope our students enjoy their snow day today and stay warm and safe throughout, but I do have some tough news to share. School will be in-person tomorrow. You can still pelt me with snowballs when you see me. A brief blast of snow, forcing the Northeast to trudge through this unusually stormy winter. Also today, a federal judge is permanently blocking the release of a report on President Trump's handling of classified documents after he left office in 2021. In her decision, Judge Eileen Cannon, who was nominated by Mr. Trump, said its release would be a manifest injustice because the case never reached a jury.

Special counsel Jack Smith's findings led to charges that were once considered the most damaging that Trump faced. Cannon dismissed the case in 2024 after concluding that Smith had been unlawfully appointed. But the document's case may not be entirely over as two watchdog groups have been pressing a higher court for their release. President Trump is warning countries to stick with the tariff deals they agreed to, following last week's Supreme Court decision striking down many of his measures. Mr. Trump wrote on social media today, quote, any country that wants to play games with the ridiculous Supreme Court decision will be met with a much higher tariff and worse than that which they recently agreed to.

The threat comes as the European Union says it will wait to ratify a major trade deal it struck with the Trump administration last July. EU lawmakers said today that the U.S. side of the deal is now unclear. This means not that we never voted on that, no. We want to have clarity about the situation. We want to have clarity from the United States that they are respecting the deal because that's the crucial element that we want to have stability. Also today, President Trump doubled down on his tariff power,

saying he does not need congressional approval for any new levies. It comes after he announced plans this weekend for a new 15% global tariff, up from the 10% rate he announced. Friday just after the Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a bid by oil and gas companies to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for the effects of climate change. The case stems from a lawsuit brought by the city of Boulder, Colorado back in 2018. It's one of dozens launched by state and local governments seeking billions of dollars in damages.

They allege that the companies deceived the public about the impact of fossil fuels on the environment. Exxon Mobil and Canada's Suncor Energy appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that air pollution crosses state lines and should be heard in federal court. Arguments are expected to take place in the fall. The U.S. State Department is ordering non-essential diplomats and their family members to leave Lebanon amid heightened concerns over a possible U.S. military strike on Iran and regional retaliation. The action comes as the USS Gerald Ford arrived in the Greek island of Crete.

home to a NATO military base. It's part of a major deployment of U.S. military assets to the region, as President Trump ratchets up pressure on Tehran to strike a deal on its nuclear program. A spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry said, today that such steps, along with what he called, inconsistent positions from the U.S.

are only hurting chances for a deal. We have no benefit in the continuation of the negotiations. Our people are under pressure in Facebook. facing difficulties arising from the unjust sanctions that have been imposed against Iran under the pretext of the nuclear issue. It's all unfolding as presidential envoy, Steve Whitkoff, and Mr. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are expected to meet Iranian officials in Geneva for a new round of talks later this week.

British police arrested Peter Mandelson today on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his dealings with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former UK ambassador to the U.S. was seen leaving a London residence alongside plainclothes officers. He was taken to a police station for questioning. British authorities are investigating whether Mandelson passed on government information to Epstein more than 15 years ago. He has not been charged with a crime. Separately, longevity influencer Dr. Peter Atea is leaving his role as a CBS news contributor amid a growing fallout over his ties to Epstein. he too has not been accused of any crimes.

On Wall Street today, stocks dropped amid worries over President Trump's tariff plans. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 800 points on the day. The NASDAQ fell more than 250 points. The S&P 500 also ended sharply lower. Still to come on the news hour, the latest PBS News NPR Marist poll shows Americans are concerned about the direction of the country. Tamara Keith and Jasmine Wright break down the latest political headlines. And we take stock of the Winter Olympics through some of the game's most dynamic images. This is the PBS News Hour from the David M. Rubenstein studio at WETA in Washington,

headquarters of PBS News. The FBI director Cash Patel is under fire after videos of him chugging a beer and celebrating with the men's U.S. hockey team in Italy yesterday were obtained by multiple news outlets. The FBI had previously argued Patel's trip to Italy was for official travel, but critics are now questioning the optics of his visit amid broader questions about his leadership at the Bureau. Patel pushed back on his critics, saying in a post on X that he was, quote, extremely humbled when the team invited him to celebrate its gold medal win. For more on this, I'm joined now by Asha Rangappa. She's a former FBI agent, now a lecture at Yale University. Asha, it's good to see you.

So as you know, the U.S. does have an official presence at the election. We've seen the Vice President Vance and his family at ceremonies and events. But what did you make of this locker room video of the FBI director in particular? Well, Amna, there's a leftover mantra from the Hoover Days in the Bureau, which goes, never embarrass the Bureau. And that was the guiding principle for us when we were out in public, whenever we were interfacing with anyone. And I think that applies here. You know, the director was ostensibly out there for official business. I think officials go to a big event like the Olympics.

I think the issue here is the decorum of, you know, partying it up with the team, if you will. I think it can lend itself to a perception that maybe, you know, this is not someone who's taking his role seriously or, you know, not taking his job serious. I just want to underscore something you're saying, because we've heard from the FBI them making this point that he was there for official meetings. And we did see the U.S. ambassador to Italy today post some pictures of himself with Cash Patel saying, you know, thanking him for meeting with embassy team and with their Italian counterpart. So is this a situation where both can be true? He was there for official meetings and also went to events and then ended up in the locker room celebrating in this way? Yes, I think both things can be true. I'm not familiar with the specifics of the director's schedule, but the FBI does have a global presence. And there are legal attaches in the U.S. embassies around the world. And there may be reasons for the director to go to those embassies and to meet with other intelligence officials in other countries as well. So that may be very well a part of his official duties. So I think that that should be separated from, and I think even attending the Olympics is not necessarily. you know, officials are allowed to have hobbies and go to events. I think what is really the question here is kind of the, as I mentioned before, the decorum. There's also the question that's been raised about his use of this taxpayer-funded aircraft, right? We know he previously criticized his predecessors travel in the same way. He's now facing similar criticism in

questions. Last year, there are some questions about him allegedly using the FBI jet to see his girlfriend perform. Just for folks unfamiliar, why does the FBI? director have the use of this jet? And how do you separate out personal and professional obligations? Well, the director has the jet to enable him to, you know, be secure, to be able to go to official business, basically, whether it's in the country or around the world. You know, the FBI is a small C conservative organization. It tends to be frugal. And I think most directors have tried to be judicious when using taxpayer resources. Definitely as a rank-and-file agent,

that is the ethos that is handed down to you. The one director, William Sessions, who did kind of abuse FBI resources for his personal use, was actually investigated internally by the Office of Professional Responsibility. And, Amna, I think that's an important point here, is that normally these kinds of questions would be addressed through an internal investigation by OPR, the Office of Professional Responsibility, possibly by an Inspector General investigation.

But the inspector generals, you know, are not really operating in the way that they were before. And it's not clear to me whether even OPR is operating. So the normal way that this would have been addressed, you know, is not, we're not necessarily seeing it now. Asha, the minute or so we have left, I mean, you've worked inside the Bureau. In your view, what kind of message? Do you feel that this director is sending about the direction overall of the Bureau right now? I think that for where the Bureau is right now, what we've seen is, you know, hundreds of agents who've resigned or have been fired for simply doing their jobs, people who have left for being asked to do things that they don't want to do. For example, the Special Agent charge of the Atlanta Field Office resigned a week before the search warrant application was,

submitted to Fulton County. You know, all of these things, the reallocation of resources to immigration and to things that the FBI doesn't normally do, missteps in investigations like the Charlie Kirk murder when things were announced and had to backtrack, all of those take a toll on agents who really rely on public trust and for people to see them as being highly competent and trustworthy in what they do. So this last event, I don't think will help that situation at all. And his former FBI agent, Asha Rangappa, now at Yale University. Asha, thank you for your time. We appreciate it. Thank you.

As President Trump prepares to deliver the first state of the union address of his second term, six in ten Americans say the country is in a worse place than a year ago. That's according to a new PBS News, NPR Marist poll. The president will have a chance to try to turn the page tomorrow night, laying out his list of priorities for the year to come. Ahead of that speech, White House correspondent Liz Landers checks in with voters about how they see the direction of the country. The state of our union is stronger than ever before. For decades, it's become routine.

The state of our union is strong and getting stronger. The state of our union is strong. The state of our union will remain strong. Presidents walk into the House chamber to project optimism and strength to the American people. Heading into this speech tomorrow night, just 43% of Americans say the current state of the union is strong in this latest PBS News and PR Marist poll. That's a four-point drop from last year. Of course, how you define strength is in the eye of the beholder. So we talk to some of the participants in this poll. Strong compared to other countries, very much so. Strong compared to what we,

what we are or could be, certainly not nearly as strong as we could be. Others would choose another word entirely. If I used one word to describe it, I'd probably say terrible. I'm concerned about our democracy. It feels like we are teetering on the edge of losing it all. And that's a pretty scary place to be. I'm divided because I think the issues are very, very divisive. Trump is extremely polarizing in some aspects for good,

because what you see is what you get. Hi, Donald John Trump. Since Mr. Trump re-entered the Oval Office last January, he's pushed policies at a frenetic pace, sending immigration agents in the National Guard to American cities, launching bombs in Iran and missiles on boats in the Caribbean, threatening to take over Greenland, slashing the federal workforce,

calling for investigations into his perceived political enemies, all of it testing the limits of presidential power. A majority of Americans in this latest poll say President Trump's actions so far are changing the country for the worse, and it's affecting them personally. A majority say the policies of his second term are having a negative impact on their lives. Less than a third say it's made life better for them. We're here in, and if anything, people's perceptions of what's been going on have deteriorated. Liam Merengoff is the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. He says views of President Trump's policies are directly tied to people's perceptions of him.

Donald Trump is defining the landscape. You're for him or against him. He's the incumbent and he's bigger than life in terms of the figure he projects to the American people. So Republicans and Democrats alike divide up along what view people have of him along partisan lines. Two-thirds of Republicans feel good with some pointing to the economy. feel like he knows what he's doing because he's a businessman. I feel more comfortable with him at the home, with our economy personally. More than half of independents disagree. Nothing's going down in Christ. Everything's still going up in costs. Most people are struggling these days.

And the overwhelming majority of Democrats say they've personally seen negative effects from the president's actions. I have done nothing wrong. Like the immigration crackdown across the country. ICE agents coming into Minnesota communities and terrorizing people here. I have people I know who have been afraid to leave their houses. I have had family members detained family members tear dast. So tomorrow night, Mr. Trump will likely try for a reset, pushing his policy prescriptions for the weeks and months ahead, like lowering electricity costs and requiring ID to vote in elections while still continuing his aggressive anti-immigration agenda.

The speech is a high stakes moment for the president. Donald Trump needs to, in a sense, redefine what his second term is about. He started off with numbers that were much better than they are right now. So the past year in, you know, in consultant terms, he's gotten off message. It's also likely to be his biggest audience of the year with millions of Americans watching from home. And inside the House chamber, his cabinet tasked with carrying out his agenda, his Republican, allies in Congress, Democrats trying to block him, and representatives from the nation's highest court, where many of his executive orders have already been tested and in many cases upheld.

But just last week, in one of the most significant blows to his economic agenda so far, the justices struck down tariffs the president had unilaterally imposed on foreign countries. I'm ashamed of certain members of the court. After the decision, Trump lashed out, suggesting he doesn't care if they show. up tomorrow night. They're barely invited. When every co-equal branch of government will be in the same room at a time when Americans' faith in the delicate system of checks and balances is at an all-time low. In the new poll conducted before the latest Supreme Court decision, two-thirds of respondents say the system is not working well. That lack of trust in a core tenant of American democracy

has jumped 12 points since Trump's speech to Congress last March, and it has doubled since the month before his inauguration. I think it's hard to over-exaggerate, frankly, or exaggerate the extent to which the last year has degraded, if not demolished the basic pillars of constitutional democracy. Kimberly Whaley is a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law and author of several books, including How to Read the Constitution and Why. She sees how the branches of government are working together as a deeply true.

troubling moment. It's not the actual speed limit that slows people down. It's the threat of enforcement or consequence for speeding. It's that ticket that motivates compliance with the speed limit. If the speed limit is the Constitution, where did the tickets come from? Either Congress or the courts. Donald Trump understands there's no enforcement. I wouldn't mistake what Congress is doing now for some kind of constitutional breakdown. John Hughes, he's a differently. He's a law professor at the of California at Berkeley and a former Justice Department official in the George W. Bush administration. He says it's no surprise a Republican Congress is going along with the policies of a Republican president. What he's trying to achieve in terms of reform of the relations of the executive branch with the other branches

and presidential power generally is to restore the presidency to the way it was originally understood by the founders. But you says that voters will hold the ultimate power. during November's midterm elections. Those critics should go and win the elections at the midterms and then place political pressure using Congress's constitutional powers to try to restrain them. A potential shift that wouldn't be on full display until next year's State of the Union address. For the PBS News Hour, I'm Liz Landers.

For more on the latest PBS News poll and what to watch for during President Trump's State of the Union tomorrow night, we turn now to our politics Monday duo that's, Tamara Keith of NPR and Jasmine Wright, White House correspondent for notice. Amy Walter is away this evening. Great to see you both. So let's start with this poll, as we just reported, 55% of Americans say President Trump is changing the country for the worst. That includes 64% of independence. Tam, what stands out to you in these numbers?

President Trump has really, he relied on independence to win, and he is losing them, which is going to be a problem in the midterms. And I think the other thing that broadly stands out from the poll is just people are upset. There's a lot of discontent about the state of the country, the direction of the country, the viability of American democracy. And there is still huge polarization. If you look under the hood of these numbers, it really is. Democrats are going this way.

Republicans are going this way. However, independents are more in the direction of Democrats right now. And Jasmine, another thing that's, stands out in this poll, 53% of respondents say President Trump's policies have had a negative impact on them personally. That is different than, you know, abstract disapproval. This is people speaking about their direct experience. And I think that is reflected in a lot of people's discomfort with the tariffs. Obviously, we know that those were just struck down the way that he was using them by the Supreme Court. But we've heard people be really frustrated about the tariffs,

frustrated about high prices, frustrated about the economy, not being as good as they've heard the president say, and also frustrated with the president's immigration agenda. I think if you look at some of the more recent polls, you've seen people being broadly accepting of the idea that more people should be deported, but not happy with the tactics. And so the president is facing strong headwinds, kind of across the board when it comes to how people are responding to his individual policies, which is not just about his personality. Let's talk more about the tariffs, because just today, the president said, as president, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of tariffs. It's already been gotten, he says, in many forms a long time ago.

He is really just brushing past the Supreme Court here, Tam. And tariffs were already unpopular. In many ways, this was an off-ramp that he could have taken, but he's not. He is not taking the off-ramp. He is doubling down. He is claiming to continue to have massive powers. The reality is that there are a whole bunch of three-digit number options that the president can use, and none of them are as powerful as AEPA. None of them are that Swiss Army knife that he was using Aipa as, but obviously the Supreme Court found that he was using it in a way that wasn't legal. For a lot of voters, the tariffs, as Jasmine said, are a problem. They see things getting more expensive. Now you see major corporations and

companies people have heard of are asking for refunds for the tariffs, which is another indication that it wasn't foreign companies that were paying it. But President Trump, this is a core belief for him. This is something that he has been talking about, at least since the 1980s and probably before then. He, it is his favorite word he likes to say. It is his favorite policy prescription for everything from foreign policy to the economy, to trying to get world peace. And so he is not giving this up easily. And he's not creating this up easily. And he's not creating any separation for Republicans in Congress who are going to have to explain this, you know, in the coming months. Jasmine, say more about that, because to Tam's point, FedEx today, the international

shipping company filed suit in the international trade court seeking a refund. This is a story that is really breaking through. Based on your reporting, how are Republicans thinking about this in terms of the messaging and the policy? Yeah, and you're going to have more of these companies and perhaps individual small businesses coming out and saying that, that based on the ruling, we want a refund. Now, the White House has been clear that that is going to be settled later on in litigation, but still that is going to be a thing. I think that this is fundamentally important because so far,

Congress has not necessarily been receptive to the president's tariffs, particularly Republicans, and in votes that they've taken against terrorists, particularly that Canadian tariffs vote, to revoke those six Republicans joined Democrats to remove those tariffs from Canada, that was a symbolic vote. because even if it did pass in it, which it likely is not, it would still need to be veto-proof for the president. Now, if he does, in fact, decide to go to Congress, which he says he won't, but if he wants to continue those Section 122 tariffs,

he will have to go to Congress. If he does, that vote becomes not symbolic but serious. And it means that Republicans are going to be on the record in support or against these tariffs, and that, of course, puts them potentially in hot water with their constituents who may not like tariffs, But then on the other side, if they don't vote for tariffs, it puts them in hot water with the president who has shown that he will primary just about anybody that goes against him. And there's a risk here for President Trump being cast as out of touch when you have the American people by and large saying that they're not, they don't support these tariffs.

I remember back in the early 90s, I think it was 1992. Then President George H.W. Bush was cast as being out of touch because he went to a grocer's convention and there was one of those barcode scanners. And he said something like, oh, that's cool. I've never seen anything like that before. And people were like, how could you not know what a barcode scanner is at a supermarket? That was what passed for scandal and controversy back then. And here you have pluralities, majorities of the American public saying that they don't want these tariffs. And the president is saying, okay, fine, 15% tariffs.

Well, the president has also said that he has won affordability, that he's done. I think a big question that I have about this coming state of the union address is, does he pivot to talk about affordability in a way that is relatable to the American people? or does he once again say, don't believe what you're feeling. Believe the numbers. Believe me. Believe anything but what you're feeling. I think that this is a real problem for him,

but he is not, unless something dramatic happens, going to be on the ballot again. Now, he and his team want the midterms to be about him because they think that's the only way that they can juice turnout, but he personally is not on the ballot again. Democrats tomorrow night are boycotting. Tell us more about that. Yeah, there are a handful of Democrats growing kind of in numbers that are just, that are saying that they are not going to be in the chamber as the speech are going on. Some are going to be

having their own speech outside. But I think you are seeing this kind of clash between Democratic leadership that says if you are going, you need to be respectful. We don't want to see some of the antics like holding up the sign that felt a bit unsurious, if we're going to be honest last year versus people saying, I'm going to opt out anyway. Now, when we go back to those traditional Democrats, they are bringing people with them, as we've seen happen in the past, that are directly kind of in opposition to the president's agenda. I know that Democrats are bringing some Epstein survivors, people related to Epstein survivors. They're bringing folks who have been attacked or harmed, they say, by the president's immigration policies,

including people who have been legitimately ripped out of their car on video. And so I think you're seeing a traditional way of Democrats responding to the state of the union in this non-traditional way, which is basically they're opting out. What are you watching for tomorrow night? Well, the president says it's going to be long because he has a lot to say. You know, he has now delivered a number of these addresses. He does tend to stay on the teleprompter. He does tend to follow the script.

But sometimes they put surprises in there. And I, you know, I guess what I am watching for and looking for is, does, is this the bridge to the midterms that a White House official told me it would be, does he focus on affordability? Does he maybe even make a case for whatever it is that he's doing in Iran, as, you know, President George W. Bush did back in 2002. Or is, you know, is this another episode of the Trump show? Jasmine, right? Excuse me, I almost told Jamie Walter. I'm only getting you, Walters, on the best days. That's right, Jasmine Wright, Tamara Keith, my thanks to you both. Well, tomorrow night we'll have live coverage of the State of the Union address

and the Democratic response, along with in-depth analysis. That starts at 9 p.m. Eastern right here on your PBS station and on our YouTube page. Today, the Syrian government confirmed it had closed one of the largest camps that used to house ISIS fighters and their families. It's the latest example of major transformations in Syria, from how it confronts ISIS, to whether the U.S. will remain. A key player in all this is General Maslum Abdi, head of the Syrian Kurds. Nick Schifrin recently sat down with him to discuss the future of the Kurds and the fate of the country as a whole.

In Syria, what the U.S. called a historic milestone. Kurds mark the moment they hope will give them reason to celebrate, autonomy, and equality at last. For the last decade, Kurdish fighters have waged war alongside the U.S. to liberate Syria from the Islamic State. And in the Northeast, they carved out their own semi-autonomous region. But recently, Syrian government forces hoping to unify the country, overran the Kurds, and seized some of their territory, leading to a deal between Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara

and the leader of the Syrian Kurds, General Masloum Abdi. Earlier this month, at the Munich Security Conference, Masloom rubbed shoulders with the Americans who want to see him and the Syrian government make a sustainable peace. How historic was the late January agreement for the Kurds and for all of Syria? This late January agreement was the best possible outcome under the current circumstances. We are not saying that it was the best deal for the Kurds. However, to secure a ceasefire, to establish stability and address our problems through dialogue, made acceptance possible.

That acquiescence reflects the Kurds' military and economic setbacks. In January, the Kurds were forced to withdraw from huge, huge parts of northern Syria, including oil and gas fields that once provided revenue. They're now supposed to hand over border checkpoints to the Syrian central government, which is trying to consolidate national control. Kurdish forces will integrate four brigades into the Syrian military. In return, Syrian forces withdrew from some but not all of Kurdish territory, and Kurdish regions have been guaranteed civil and educational rights.

If you are granted empowered local governments, the right to control police, local schools, Is that enough? Or will Syrian Kurds be seeking autonomy or even independent? No, in these specific circumstances, this is what we want. That is, the existence of a local administration, where Kurds can govern their regions and preserve Kurdish identity. Are you saying that empowered local governance is enough and you don't need autonomy or even independence?

We want autonomy. However, due to the current circumstances that the condition for the Damascus government to accept us is just local administration. If the deal collapses, would you consider launching an insurgency against the government? I don't want or wish for something like this to happen. But if the deal collapses, we will persist in our fight until the very end. It is absolutely impossible for us to give up on the Kurdish regions.

For years, the U.S. and Kurdish forces have tried to prevent ISIS's resurgence and stop ongoing threats. But now, the U.S.'s main partner against ISIS is the Syrian-central governments, military and police. Muslim urges the government to integrate and learn from Kurdish fighters. ISIS is still very strong and has also gradually gained access to major Syrian cities. ISIS can carry out attacks whenever it wants. I believe that if the fight against ISIS has not continued vigorously,

the organization will once again continue to pose threats to the world. Even if experts call that an exaggeration, the threat includes ISIS fighters in prison camps that have held tens of thousands of militants and their families. Earlier this month, the U.S. transferred 5,700 ISIS prisoners to Iraq. But a U.S. official told PBS NewsHour were the most dangerous prisoners. Undoubtedly, this transfer will have benefits in weakening ISIS's influence. The transferred prisoners no longer pose a risk of participating in ISIS attacks.

But the largest camp, all whole, is now empty. And U.S. and regional officials tell PBS NewsHour, after the Kurds transferred control to the Syrian government, at least 10,000 ISIS women and children left and have not been tracked. The future of ISIS will determine the future U.S. presence. The U.S. has recently closed two of its bases and announced a consolidation of troops. U.S. military officials tell PBS NewsHour any further movement will be based on conditions. Outside experts say they believe the U.S. will eventually fully withdraw. Withdrawing American troops at this critical moment is not a good idea, as it will inevitably

present inherent challenges, especially in the ongoing fighting. against terrorism. But the fact is, the U.S. has already withdrawn its support for the Kurds. The Kurds were paid tremendous amounts of money, were given oil and other things. So they were doing it for themselves, more so than they were doing it for us. And when the Syrian government attacked Kurdish positions, the U.S. did not come to the Kurds protection. So do you feel abandoned by the United States?

A major attack was launched against our regions. Many of our people were killed. And the U.S. stance was not strong enough to stop the attack. So, due to this stance, there is also a widespread disappointment among our people. At this point today, what does it mean to you to be a citizen of Syria? I have two identities. One is being Syrian and the other is being Kurdish. I am essentially Kurdish.

I am proud of both. We want to envision Syria to be rebuilt, but we also want to see the Kurdish regions develop and prosper, and for Kurds to have their own major roles within the country. Those roles are still in flux, as is the fate of the country as a whole. But all sides say they want this transition to succeed to help create stability out of a still fragile state. For the PBS News Hour, I'm Nick Schiffen. It was a strong finish for Team USA at the Milano Cortina Games, as they brought home the most gold medals for the country in a single Winter Olympics.

The U.S. men's hockey win over Canada wrapped up the games in dramatic fashion, as the team's first gold since 1980. For more on that and some signal achievements from these games, I spoke earlier today with Christine Brennan of USA Today, joined us from Milan. Christine, it's great to see you. Thanks for being with us. Omna, my pleasure. Thank you.

Okay, so a record number of winter golds there with Team USA and skating, skiing, and more. But let's start with those hockey wins. Both the men's and women's teams had to go into overtime to beat their arch rivals, Canada. I think the iconic image from the... the men's game may be this, Jack Hughes, with a big smile, missing a few teeth after that game as well. What did that win mean for the team and for the country?

Omna, for the men's team. It was the first gold medal in 46 years since 1980, the miracle on ice. And in fact, at the what they call the winter house, the party area afterwards, all the players, the men's players were there. And they were lifting Micahruzioni, the captain of that 1980 team and screaming, miracle, miracle, miracle. as they celebrated into the night in Milan. So the tie in there was extraordinary, even though the parallels are completely different. There are no parallels in the sense that that was a bunch of amateurs

and college kids beating the Big Red Machine, the Soviet Union in 1980. This is an all-star team, the Americans, the Canadians, others that are NHL players who know each other very well, obviously competing for their nations. But a great moment for men's hockey following, of course, the great success of the women's team, which has won three.

gold medals during that same time period and continued their great play, of course, here as well. Let's turn now to figure skating, where I know you've been focusing a lot of your reporting, and Alyssa Liu, you told us going into these games, she would be one to watch. Where does her individual gold place her in Olympics history? It's right up there. She's in one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports, U.S. women who have won that figure skating gold medal, and the names are iconic, Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, Christy Amaguchi, only a few more, and now Alyssa Lou. One of my favorite stories of the games, and one of my favorite stories I've covered the last few years, Avna. Actually, she won the national

title at 13, won the national title at 14, fed up with people telling her what to do and having no life other than skating. She retired at 16. She unretired at 18. She won the world title at 19, and now she's won the Olympic gold medal at 20. I have never seen someone smile more under pressure, and we know watching skating, watching Eilea Malin have such trouble. The pressure is enormous here at these Olympic games. Nothing like it. And Alyssa Liu smiled throughout the four minutes.

She talked about if she won a medal, great. If she didn't, no big deal. She had the perfect attitude, and she also was cheering on her competitors all the way through, the Japanese women who could beat her, the Americans at the nationals, and also here. Just a terrific statement by this young athlete, this young skater, this great young American

about women supporting women, about having fun, and about keeping everything in perspective. Keep an eye on Alyssa Lou. She's going to be doing a lot of interesting things, not just skating, but off the ice as well in the future. And such a joy to watch as well. Well, speaking of women in sports, you wrote a column, I want to point to, and you called it Title IX as responsible for so many women's Olympic medals for Team USA.

Tell us about that. Where did we see that in these games? Oh, throughout the games. And for the third straight winter Olympics, the U.S. women won more gold medals and more overall medals than the U.S. men. And just to also kind of put this in perspective, it is now four summer Olympics in a row, four of them, going back to London in 2012, where the U.S. women have won more gold medals and more total medals than the U.S. men. This is an extraordinary story. This is the story of Title IX, signed by Richard Nixon in June of 1972. As you know, Omna,

very well, opening the floodgates for girls and women to play sports in this country, especially team sports. If there's no Title IX, we've never heard of the U.S. women's hockey team. If there's no title nine, we've never heard of the U.S. women's soccer team or softball at the Summer Olympics. It is that big a deal. And every other nation knows that the U.S. has an incredible head start because we decided we cared about our daughters playing sports as well as our sons back in the 70s,

obviously all the way through the rest of this century, into this century, what we're seeing in NCAA women's basketball and the WNBA and throughout college sports, we are seeing it here at the Olympic Games where the U.S. women are the reason that the United States Olympic team is performing so well, one Olympics after another. That is sports columnist. Christine Brennan of USA Today,

joining us after weeks of covering these Winter Olympic Games in Milan. Christine, thank you so much. Always great to talk to you. Oh, it's fun. Then thank you. The final ratings for these Olympics aren't in yet, but the winter games have been on a solid pace with an average of nearly 24 million viewers watching daily on NBC's platforms. Of course, televised coverage is just part of the way that we experience the games. Often, it's the indelible photographs that stay with us, capturing a moment in time that can help shape our memories and Olympic history. Our team spoke with some. several photographers behind some of the game's most iconic images. I'm Jacqueline Martin. I'm a photojournalist of the Associated Press, and I'm here covering the Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy. It's very physically challenging to cover downhill skiing. So as one of

the people that skis, I'm mostly on the hill. And of course, Lindsay Vaughn was the story because of this kind of comeback kid's story. So we were going to be covering her no matter what happened. And so I locked onto her with the camera and I was following her through. And as she was coming towards the gate, she kind of hooked the. with her right pole and I just gasped out loud and said, oh my God. I didn't know exactly what had happened, but I knew that it was a really bad crash, that it was going to be a really huge story and that I had to really do my utmost journalistically to document what was happening.

I'm Hector Vivas. I work for Gatti images as a staff photographer. We know how to tell the stories about Olympic Games. We know how to photograph the Olympic Games, but we want to try to tell the story in a different We are using this vintage camera for a tribute of the last Winter Olympic Games in Cortina in 1956. There are like all cameras. They have like imperfections. So we have the vintage look but real.

It's not a filter. It's not Photoshop. I'm Richard Heathcote. I'm one of the chief sports photographers for Getty images. Generally, the skeleton athletes have fantastically decorated helmets. But the Ukrainian athlete had portraits of people on it and Saw it the first run. I looked at it.

I was like, okay. And then you kind of put two and two together and think, hang on a minute, is this, you know, people that have been unfortunately killed in the war. So do a little research, find out, yes, it is. And then all of a sudden the story starts developing very fast, that he could be potentially banned or disqualified if he tries to ride with the helmet. He quite rightly stuck to his guns and said, no, I'm not going to race unless I can wear it.

As a photographer, you're looking to capture everything in front of you, but when something important happens like that, you need really to concentrate on the details. I'm Elsa Gerson. I'm a staff photographer with Getty Images. I knew Alyssa Lou was kind of a young phenom coming up and then she retired at 16. So this was kind of her comeback tour. She just kind of found a new sort of joy and purpose in skating again. And that was pretty evident in her gold medal routine. You just see like the big smile on her face. She was just having such fun out there. And as a sport photographer, I'm pretty neutral about a lot of things. But I did kind of get a little bit of chills just because of the atmosphere was so electric. My name is Ashley Landis. And I'm a staff photographer for the Associated Press. With Ilya Malinen, he's so dominant. And we really wanted to capture his backflip, particularly in his long program. He came out and fell once, and then he fell twice. And all the photographers, of course, you know, while we're concentrating on it, we all, you know, we don't respond and we just keep going because the story is unfolding. One thing about the

Olympics is that all of the athletes, it's their lifelong dream to be there. And so it plays out and very dramatic fashion and super high highs and super low lows. So you see this whole range of emotions. I'm Alexandra Schmigel and I'm working for Reuters. For me, covering Olympic Games is one of the hugest moments for a photographer's career. One of my favorite shots from this Olympics comes from Lutch. I photograph Julia Tabits from Germany when she achieved a gold medal. She is amazing, but her journey to Olympics wasn't so easy. We all. always see the athletes in the moment of glory. But I think that in this image is also her behind the scene story.

Like she was really struggling and she finally got it. So she's crying and smiling. I'm Bruce Bennett. I am director of photography for hockey imagery for getting images. I look forward to the women's matches every year. And it's always Canada against the US are usually the two best teams. The crowd was the loudest that I had heard it throughout these Olympics. Channing USA USA. And I'm telling you, they spurred the players to rise to the occasion.

Macon Keller came in and scored the gold medal winning goal against Team Canada and immediately spins away from me. So, you know, you're thinking, oh, this is a disaster. But I stuck with her as best I could. It's kind of a weird shot that got all the attention because it's the back of her celebrating. You can see the American fans in the background starting to stand. up and celebrate and by chance as a Canadian player laying on the ice in front of her. So you have exactly what you need to make the perfect sports photo. You have celebration and dejection in the same frame. My last assignment for the Olympics was covering the gold medal men's hockey game between the U.S. and Canada. And overtime games are always incredible. And once a goal was scored,

they all just piled out of the bench, they were like the gloves thrown and helmets thrown in the air. It was just chaos and mayhem. And it was such joy on all of their faces. And And there was a picture that I shot of Jack Hughes. He's, you know, got a bloody lip. He's missing a tooth. I mean, that's pretty much hockey in one photo there and got the flag draped over his shoulders and just like just celebrating with his family. And I just think it's great.

A reminder to join us tomorrow night. When we'll have live coverage of President Trump's State of the Union address. It's been one year since President Trump returned to power. How have his policies reshaped the country? When the American people put President Trump in the White House, They chose law and order. This is not law and order. This is chaos.

What are his plans for the economy, conflicts abroad, and the future of our democracy? A PBS news special, the State of the Union. February 24th, 9 p.m. Eastern 8 Central. And we hope you'll join us then. Meanwhile, that is the News Hour for tonight. I'm Omna Nawaz. And I'm Jeff Bennett for all of us here at the News Hour. Thanks for spending part of your evening with us.