Heat waves at home and abroad this week are fueling new appeals for action on climate change. President Biden addressed the issue Wednesday, as large swaths of the United States and Europe spent another day in dangerously high temperatures. Geoff Bennett reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
As global temperatures continue to rise, so do heat-related deaths. Some U.S. cities are feeling the effects of high-temperature emergencies right now, including in Phoenix, Arizona. The city created the first publicly funded office to focus on the problem caused by higher temperatures. David Hondula, director of Phoenix's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, joins Stephanie Sy with more. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Wednesday, Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska appealed directly to the Congress for more weapons and financial support, Ukrainian forces used U.S.-supplied rockets to blast a bridge critical to Russia, the UN says Afghanistan has seen some 700 killings since the Taliban seized power, and Sri Lankan lawmakers chose the prime minister to be president despite calls for his ouster. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and 50 years of precedent on abortion rights, Justice Thomas suggested the court should also reconsider other cases like the decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. This spurred the U.S. House to vote Tuesday on protecting marriage equality, while some same-sex couples are turning to lawyers with concerns. John Yang reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Ten years ago today, a gunman opened fire in a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 and wounding 70 people. At the time, it was one of the worst mass shootings in the country's history, and sparked familiar conversations about gun control and mental health. A decade later that massacre continues to take a daily toll on both individuals and the community. William Brangham reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
For the first time in seven years, the federal government has a Senate-confirmed director in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the agency better known as ATF. Steven Dettelbach was recently sworn in as its leader and takes over at a time when gun violence in America is on the rise. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
President Biden this week signed an executive order to improve efforts to free more than 60 U.S. nationals held hostage or who are wrongfully detained abroad. Diane Foley's son was an American journalist kidnapped in Syria in 2012 and killed by ISIS in 2014. She now advocates for the freedom of Americans held abroad with the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, and she joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Lynette Medley is the founder and CEO of No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit Inc., a comprehensive sexual health and awareness organization. Based in Philadelphia, Medley and her team started by delivering menstrual products door-to-door, and have since established a groundbreaking menstrual hub. She offers her Brief But Spectacular take on ending period poverty. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Tuesday was the hottest day ever recorded in Britain as the country baked under super-heated air that sparked fires, buckled train tracks and touched off a torrent of emergency calls. It was part of a wider weather emergency that lasted for days and stretched across Europe. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Tuesday, Russia targets Ukraine's cities killing scores of civilians, Russian President Putin meets with Iran's leaders amid sanctions, the WHO issued new warnings about super-infectious COVID subvariants, a CDC panel is considering who should receive a COVID vaccine from Novavax, and the House approved federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders