PBS News Hour Full Episode: December 31, 2025

Global New Year's Celebrations and Weather

• 🌍 Millions across the U.S. are celebrating the new year amid arctic temperatures and heavy snow, with New York City facing its coldest ball drop in nearly a decade.
• 🇦🇺 Sydney's celebrations were marked by mourning following the Bondi Beach shooting, while Hong Kong opted for a light show instead of fireworks after a deadly building fire.

Political Developments and Investigations

• 🇺🇸 President Trump has issued his first vetoes, rejecting bills concerning a Colorado water pipeline and Native American land control, with critics suggesting retaliation for personal disputes.
• ⚖️ Newly released transcripts show former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers that the January 6 riot "does not happen without President Trump", linking him to efforts to overturn the 2020 election and classified documents.
• 🇷🇺 A U.S. official confirmed the CIA assessed that Ukraine was not targeting Vladimir Putin in a recent drone attack, contradicting Putin's claims to President Trump.
• 🇪🇺 European leaders and U.S. officials agree that Russia is blocking a peace deal with Ukraine, viewing the drone incident as a deliberate distraction.

Scientific Expedition to Antarctica

• 🧊 A team of nearly 40 researchers is on a two-month expedition to study the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier," which is melting rapidly and threatens to raise global sea levels by approximately 10 feet if it collapses.
• 🔬 Scientists aim to gather crucial data from the glacier's grounding line to understand the rate of melt and potential acceleration, information never before obtained from this region.

Geopolitical Shifts and Trade Corridors

• 🇦🇿🇺🇸 A U.S.-backed road and rail project, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), aims to unlock trade with Central Asia by linking Azerbaijan to its enclave of Nakhchivan through Armenian territory.
• 🇷🇺 This initiative is seen as marginalizing Russian influence in the South Caucasus, as Armenia's reliance on Russia for border security appears to be diminishing.

Media, Misinformation, and Photography

• 🤥 PolitiFact has declared 2025 the "Year of the Lies" due to the overwhelming volume and severity of inaccurate claims, particularly concerning health misinformation and immigration policies.
• 📸 Photojournalists reflect on capturing impactful images of the year, including the Palisades Fire, immigration raids, the war in Ukraine, and the election of a new pope, emphasizing the human toll and complexity of events.

Cultural Contributions

• 🎶 Pianist and composer Chloe Flower is promoting "popsical," a genre blending classical and contemporary music, to engage young people with classical music and highlight works by female composers.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Child welfare worker Kaitlyn Davis shares her perspective on building hope for foster children, emphasizing the critical role of foster parents in providing stability and support.