Best The Open Mind on PBS Podcasts (2025)

A new round of heavy rains Sunday and a renewed threat of flooding in central Texas interrupted the search for those still missing from the devastating July 4 flash floods. Ten days after fast-moving waters of the Guadalupe River swept away homes and vehicles, the full extent of the human toll is still emerging. John Yang speaks with reporter Tony …

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News Wrap: Palestinian death toll in Gaza passes 58,000, officials say 2:27

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15h ago2:27

2:27

In our news wrap Sunday, Israeli strikes killed at least 32 people including six children at a water collection point, two wildfires near the Grand Canyon are growing rapidly, the EU said it’s holding off on retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods in hopes of reaching a trade deal, and Italy’s Jannik Sinner beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to win t…

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How Russia used Brazil as a ‘spy factory’ for global espionage 6:44

15h ago6:44

6:44

A New York Times investigation found that Moscow has used Brazil as a launchpad for its global espionage operation. Brazilian federal police uncovered the deception after a yearslong hunt, dealing a massive blow to Putin’s spy program. Ali Rogin speaks with New York Times reporters Michael Schwirtz and Jane Bradley to learn more. PBS News is suppor…

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A look at the controversy around ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center 4:47

22h ago4:47

4:47

This weekend, lawmakers got their first look inside “Alligator Alcatraz,” the makeshift immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., called the conditions “disturbing and vile,” a description Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem challenged. John Yang speaks with Miami Herald reporter Ana Ceballos…

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‘Slow motion crisis’: Why some of the most populous cities in the U.S. are sinking 5:13

15h ago5:13

5:13

According to a recent study published in the journal Nature Cities, 28 of the most populous U.S. cities are sinking. It’s due to a phenomenon called land subsidence, exacerbated in many cases by humans extracting too much groundwater from underground aquifers. Ali Rogin speaks with Grist senior writer Matt Simon to learn more. PBS News is supported…

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FEMA missed major flood risks at Camp Mystic in Texas, new analysis reveals 5:19

2d ago5:19

5:19

The search for more than 100 people still missing from the catastrophic July 4 flash floods in Texas began its second week Saturday. Officials have rejected suggestions that the calamity could have been anticipated, but an analysis by NPR and PBS Frontline suggests otherwise. John Yang speaks with Laura Sullivan, an NPR investigative correspondent,…

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News Wrap: Trump announces 30% tariffs on goods from Mexico and EU 2:19

1d ago2:19

2:19

In our news wrap Saturday, Trump announced 30% tariffs beginning Aug. 1 on imports from Mexico and the EU, more Palestinians in Gaza were killed while trying to get food aid, Russia pounded Ukraine with drones and missiles, and a report on June’s deadly Air India crash says the fuel supply to the plane’s engines was cut off shortly after takeoff. P…

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Trump administration’s NIH funding cuts threaten research on sickle cell disease 5:25

2d ago5:25

5:25

So far in 2025, the Trump administration has cut more than $1 billion in NIH grants. That includes a study on sickle cell disease, a blood disorder that affects roughly 100,000 people in the U.S. According to the CDC, 90% of them are Black. Ali Rogin speaks with Dr. Charity Oyedeji, a Duke University hematologist whose research grant was terminated…

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Search for justice continues for Argentina’s disappeared, nearly 50 years later 7:51

1d ago7:51

7:51

This week, a human rights group in Argentina said a man who disappeared more than 40 years ago under the country’s military dictatorship had been identified and reunited with his sister. But there are concerns that the current government is reversing longstanding policy to continue searching for tens of thousands of citizens who were abducted. Spec…

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Moo Deng, the baby hippo who took social media by storm, turns 1 2:46

2d ago2:46

2:46

Adoring fans from around the world converged in Thailand this week to celebrate the first birthday of Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo who became a social media sensation. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/fundersBy PBS News

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Trump tours catastrophic flood damage in central Texas, defends state and federal response 2:56

3d ago2:56

2:56

President Trump and the first lady visited central Texas on Friday, surveying the catastrophic damage and offering comfort to families who lost loved ones in last week's floods. The death toll stands at 120 and at least 160 people are missing. Amna Nawaz reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders…

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Grieving daughter says mother’s death in Texas flood was avoidable 10:33

3d ago10:33

10:33

Thousands of responders from multiple states and Mexico spent another day scouring river banks in central Texas in search of flood victims. No new survivors have been found this week and families are coping with enormous losses. Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports on the devastation some are dealing with well outside of Kerr County. PB…

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News Wrap: State Department lays off more than 1,300 in latest cuts to federal workforce 6:02

3d ago6:02

6:02

In our news wrap Friday, the State Department is laying off at least 1,300 employees as part of the Trump administration's effort to scale back the federal workforce, an appeals court threw out a plea deal for the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and police in Baltimore are investigating a suspected mass overdose event that saw more than two …

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How the toy industry is feeling the effects of Trump’s tariffs 6:21

3d ago6:21

6:21

President Trump is dialing up the pressure on several countries in pursuit of trade deals. Trump dismissed a warning from Hasbro’s CEO that toy prices will rise if the U.S. continues to hike tariffs. William Brangham discussed the tariffs and their impact with Jay Foreman, CEO Basic Fun, which sells toys like Tonka trucks, Care Bears and Lite Brite…

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After decades of insurgency against Turkey, PKK begins disarming in step toward peace 9:18

3d ago9:18

9:18

For the first time in four decades, the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, is laying down its arms and says it will end its insurgency against Turkey. The separatist group’s disbandment comes after its imprisoned leader announced an end to its 41-year armed struggle and a transition to democratic politics. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is…

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Remembering presidential advisor and political analyst David Gergen 5:20

3d ago5:20

5:20

Presidential advisor and former News Hour contributor David Gergen died at 83 after being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Throughout his career, Gergen served four presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, and he spent many Friday nights offering his insights and analysis here on the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. Geoff Bennett has this remembrance.…

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Brooks and Capehart on the federal response to the Texas flooding disaster 11:25

3d ago11:25

11:25

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the federal response to the flooding disaster in Texas, another round of tariff threats from President Trump and reflections on the life and career of David Gergen. PBS News is supported by - https:…

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Plans for a flood warning system fell apart in Kerr County, leaving it vulnerable 6:13

4d ago6:13

6:13

The search for bodies continued nearly a week after deadly flooding in Texas. With 121 people confirmed dead and at least 161 still missing, officials there are facing scrutiny. The National Weather Service issued several watches and warnings before midnight on July 3, but local officials appeared unaware of the catastrophe until later in the morni…

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News Wrap: Federal judge blocks Trump order to end birthright citizenship 7:11

4d ago7:11

7:11

In our news wrap Thursday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, an overnight Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine lasted nearly ten hours and the Secret Service reportedly suspended six agents over failures related to the attempted assassination of Donald T…

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Measles cases surge to highest levels in over 30 years, CDC data shows 5:40

4d ago5:40

5:40

CDC data shows 2025 is now the worst year for measles cases in this country in more than three decades. More than 150 people have been hospitalized due to the growing outbreak and three have died, including two unvaccinated children in Texas. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Dr. Adam Ratner, author of "Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and…

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Federal workers union says it will continue to fight firings after Supreme Court ruling 7:02

4d ago7:02

7:02

The Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the green light to reorganize agencies and begin the process of mass firings of federal workers. The reductions in force had been on hold for months, but tens of thousands of employees at nearly 20 agencies could soon be out of work. Lisa Desjardins discussed where things stand with Everett Kelley of …

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Agencies accused of rushing adoptions before mothers can change their minds 8:56

4d ago8:56

8:56

As more states limit or ban access to abortion, some are beginning to push adoption as an alternative for women facing unplanned pregnancies. But when do laws go from accommodating to exploitative? From the Center for Investigative Reporting, Julia Lurie examines the consequences in one of the most adoption-friendly states in the country. PBS News …

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Jan. 6 prosecutor says firing of investigators, Trump’s pardons send ‘dangerous message’ 7:43

4d ago7:43

7:43

The Justice Department has fired several officials involved in the Jan. 6 criminal prosecution and others have been demoted to low-level positions. They are the latest moves that some say are part of a retribution campaign against anyone who worked on the investigation. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López spoke with Greg Rosen, one of the …

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Opera uses AI to give people with non-verbal disabilities a voice 9:22

4d ago9:22

9:22

At an Omaha, Nebraska, festival this summer, new work explores the intersection of art, disability and technology, asking questions like "who has a voice?" and "who gets to be heard?" Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown reports on this unusual undertaking for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/ne…

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Texas teams peel away layers of flood debris in search for missing 6:14

5d ago6:14

6:14

More than 160 people remain missing from the catastrophic floods that hit central Texas last week. At least 119 people have been killed, but as search crews continue their work, officials expect the death toll to keep growing. Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports on the latest efforts in Kerr County. PBS News is supported by - https://w…

The Open Mind On PBS Podcasts

4
The Open Mind, Hosted by Alexander Heffner

WNET

1
PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

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The Ruins of Winner-Take-All Governance and the Democratic Party's Dark Age 28:22

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Texas families face grim reality that some missing from floods may not be found 4:20

1
News Wrap: Palestinian death toll in Gaza passes 58,000, officials say 2:27

1
How Russia used Brazil as a ‘spy factory’ for global espionage 6:44

1
A look at the controversy around ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center 4:47

1
‘Slow motion crisis’: Why some of the most populous cities in the U.S. are sinking 5:13

1
FEMA missed major flood risks at Camp Mystic in Texas, new analysis reveals 5:19

1
News Wrap: Trump announces 30% tariffs on goods from Mexico and EU 2:19

1
Trump administration’s NIH funding cuts threaten research on sickle cell disease 5:25

1
Search for justice continues for Argentina’s disappeared, nearly 50 years later 7:51

1
Moo Deng, the baby hippo who took social media by storm, turns 1 2:46

1
Trump tours catastrophic flood damage in central Texas, defends state and federal response 2:56

1
Grieving daughter says mother’s death in Texas flood was avoidable 10:33

1
News Wrap: State Department lays off more than 1,300 in latest cuts to federal workforce 6:02

1
How the toy industry is feeling the effects of Trump’s tariffs 6:21

1
After decades of insurgency against Turkey, PKK begins disarming in step toward peace 9:18

1
Remembering presidential advisor and political analyst David Gergen 5:20

1
Brooks and Capehart on the federal response to the Texas flooding disaster 11:25

1
Plans for a flood warning system fell apart in Kerr County, leaving it vulnerable 6:13

1
News Wrap: Federal judge blocks Trump order to end birthright citizenship 7:11

1
Measles cases surge to highest levels in over 30 years, CDC data shows 5:40

1
Federal workers union says it will continue to fight firings after Supreme Court ruling 7:02

1
Agencies accused of rushing adoptions before mothers can change their minds 8:56

1
Jan. 6 prosecutor says firing of investigators, Trump’s pardons send ‘dangerous message’ 7:43

1
Opera uses AI to give people with non-verbal disabilities a voice 9:22

1
Texas teams peel away layers of flood debris in search for missing 6:14