PBS NewsHour

For a broader look at how the Eric Garner case and the intersection of race and justice are resonating with Americans, Gwen Ifill gets perspectives from Candace McCoy of City University of New York and Jelani Cobb of The New Yorker.

While the estimated number of cases of sexual assault are down 25 percent from two years ago, actual reports of assault have increased 8 percent in the past year. Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel said the findings are both a sign of progress and a need for greater reform. Hari Sreenivasan reports on continuing concern over retaliation for and how lawmakers are responding.

President Vladimir Putin gave his state of the nation speech, trumpeting Russia’s incursions into Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. A new book, “Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible,” examines how the Kremlin uses television to promote Putin’s views and influence its citizens through reality TV. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner interviews author Peter Pomerantsev.

Some high tech entrepreneurs have started trading in the high costs of the San Francisco Bay Area for the sunnier skies of Venice Beach in Los Angeles. But with the benefits of the boom, like high-paying jobs, also come problems, especially for the longtime residents of the famously artistic, bohemian neighborhood. Special correspondent Steve Goldbloom reports.

Poet and playwright Claudia Rankine says that the small moments that carve gaps of misunderstanding between Americans lead to big, national moments of misunderstanding, like events in Ferguson and New York. Rankine explores these disruptions and how they lead to conflict in her new book, “Citizen.”

In our news wrap Wednesday, representatives from 60 nations met to strategize against the Islamic State in Brussels. While Secretary of State John Kerry expressed confidence in air attacks against the militants, he would not comment on or deny whether Iran has launched its own strikes. Also, three leaders of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy campaign surrendered to police.

A white policeman in New York City will not be charged in the choking death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, which was caught on videotape. Hari Sreenivasan learns more about the decision and how New York has been planning for the verdict from Pervaiz Shallwani of The Wall Street Journal.

Japanese manufacturer Takata is fighting demands by Congress for a nationwide recall of defective airbags linked to at least five deaths. The company maintains that the request is not supported by evidence and that Washington does not have the legal authority to make a parts maker enforce a recall. Judy Woodruff reports.

The Supreme Court heard a case of a former UPS driver who claims the company discriminated against her while she was pregnant. Marcia Coyle of the National Law Journal offers some background on the case and Gwen Ifill gets analysis from Marcia Greenberger of the National Women’s Law Center and Karen Harned of the National Federation of Independent Business’ Small Business Legal Center.

NASA envisions a human presence on Mars in 20 years. But how will we get there? The Orion spacecraft, an unmanned capsule, will launch on its maiden voyage as an important test for future missions. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports on the engineering hurdles as well as the budgetary ones.

The high school graduation rate for Native Americans is the lowest of any ethnic or racial group in the United States. How can the government assist reservation schools while respecting autonomy of tribes? Judy Woodruff talks to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell about a series of initiatives announced by the president on how to undo deep-seated education challenges for Native Americans.

In our news wrap Tuesday, al-Shabaab militants carried out a mass killing of non-muslims in Kenya, leaving 36 dead. The attack was in retaliation for the presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia. Also, a major cable failure in downtown Detroit caused 100 buildings to lose power for much of the day.

A severe cash shortage has forced the UN’s World Food Program to suspend food vouchers, immediately affecting 1.7 million Syrian refugees who are reliant on them for survival. Gwen Ifill spoke with Muhannad Hadi of the World Food Program about what the organization needs to provide December’s vouchers and why providing debit cards for groceries better serves some refugee populations.

The final weeks of the 113th Congress are here, leaving House and Senate members scrambling to finish business before the holidays. Big-ticket items -- from government funding to tax breaks for corporations and teachers -- remain up in the air, and Republicans are hoping to find a creative way to limit the president’s executive action on immigration. Political editor Lisa Desjardins reports.

Can schools that enroll students of all skill levels use the same methods as more academically selective programs? In the second half of our report on Philadelphia’s public schools, special correspondent for education John Merrow reports on the city’s U School, a neighborhood school that’s copying the project-based learning curriculum of some of the city’s more exclusive charter schools.