PBS NewsHour

Sheikh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, a prominent Syrian Sunni cleric and vocal critic of the Islamic State, led prayers at the funeral of American beheading victim Peter Kassig. Chief foreign correspondent Margaret Warner interviews al-Yaqoubi, exiled from his country, about atrocities committed by the Islamic State, why the militant group is able to gain followers and the fight against the Assad regime.

A story in Rolling Stone details the gang rape of an 18-year-old student by seven men at a fraternity house at the University of Virginia. Journalist Sabrina Erdely says that the young woman reported the assault to the administration but nothing was done. Erdely joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the prevalence of campus sexual assault and why the victim was discouraged from speaking out.

More than 30 years ago, a festival was launched to bring prominent writers to an audience of avid readers in downtown Miami in order to help revitalize the neighborhood. Now it's said to be America's largest literary event of its kind: eight days, more than 600 authors and a quarter-million bibliophiles. Jeffrey Brown reports on how authors see the festival as part of a changing book world.

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus join Judy Woodruff to discuss President Obama’s call to arms on immigration, a lawsuit by the Republican House over the president’s health care law and a look ahead at the 2016 presidential race.

In our news wrap Thursday, the world experienced its hottest month of October since recording began -- the fifth month this year to set new highs. Also, as State Secretary John Kerry arrives in Vienna for a new round of Iran talks, the head of the U.N. Nuclear Agency reported that Iran has failed again to explain suspected research into nuclear bomb-making.

Exploding airbags manufactured by the Japanese company Takata were the focus of a Senate committee hearing. One in about 8 million cars in the U.S. have been recalled for the problem, which occurs when the inflators fire too much force, sending metal shards flying. Takata's quality chief apologized for the defect but would not support a nationwide recall. Hari Sreenivasan reports.

For the first time since World War II, there are more than 51 million people worldwide who are refugees or displaced; more than a quarter have been driven from their homes by the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner interviews the U.N High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, about the suffering and broad impacts of the Mideast refugee crisis.

Uber, the popular ride-sharing mobile phone app, has developed a reputation for ruthlessness. The company's latest woes were generated by an executive who talked about hiring operatives to dig up dirt on reporters who criticize the company. Economics correspondent Paul Solman looks at some of Uber’s controversial practices and Gwen Ifill learns more from Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research.

There are still ongoing lethal consequences of the Vietnam War that ended in 1975. Undetonated "bomblets," dropped by the U.S. military during the conflict, are killing and maiming people who discover them by accident. To help close a painful chapter in history, American veteran Chuck Searcy has made bomb removal and education his humanitarian mission. Special correspondent Mike Cerre reports.

Mike Nichols, a prolific figure in theater and film, directed numerous American classics, including “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “The Graduate,” a film known for its commentary and influence on American life. Nichols, who arrived in the U.S. at 7 years old after fleeing Nazi Germany, was the winner of an Oscar, a Grammy, 9 Tonys and 4 Emmys. Jeffrey Brown looks back at Nichols' career.

A bill to limit the National Security Agency's domestic metadata collection effectively died on the Senate floor. The USA Freedom Act would have forced the NSA to get court orders for specific data from telecom companies. Gwen Ifill gets reaction from Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the lead sponsor of the legislation.

In Washington state, where there was a deadly school shooting just last month, a different district has been training administrators to carry guns in case of a confrontation with an active shooter. Special correspondent Terry Murphy of KCTS Television in Seattle reports.

NBC scrapped development of a new Bill Cosby show, Netflix postponed the release of a new comedy special and TV land canceled his reruns in light of new and renewed accusations by five women that the comedian sexually assaulted them. Sharon Waxman of The Wrap joins Gwen Ifill to discuss the allegations and the power of social media in driving this media firestorm.

More than four years ago, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, gushing oil into the Gulf Coast for almost three months before it was capped. Despite settlements and clean-up efforts, some communities have never fully recovered. Filmmaker Margaret Brown joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss her documentary, "The Great Invisible," which examines the fallout.

Despite playing a common instrument, celebrated banjo players Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck have kept their musical careers separate. But after performing together as a favor to a relative, the two realized their different styles could be complementary, leading to a new collaboration and a family tour complete with their 21-month-old son. Jeffrey Brown reports.