Saher Khan

Texas school board officials have approved new course materials that schools are incentivized to incorporate into their classrooms. Called “Bluebonnet Learning,” parts of these materials include religious lessons that critics say undermine religious freedom, and could isolate non-Christian students. William Brangham explores the issue with Texas Tribune education reporter Jaden Edison.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join William Brangham to discuss the latest political news, including the major federal felony cases against President-elect Trump are dropped, Trump's success with young men and the electoral gender divide.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in a landmark case on transgender rights. The justices are weighing whether a Tennessee law barring gender-affirming care for minors violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. The decision will have major implications for young people who identify as transgender, their families and medical providers. Laura Barrón-López reports.

Over the weekend, President-elect Donald Trump sat down for his first formal interview since winning a second term in the White House. Trump spoke to Meet the Press about his plans for his new administration, doubling down on campaign promises around mass deportations, threatening political rivals and praising Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Laura Barrón-López reports.

President Biden announced he's commuting the prison sentences of some 1,500 people and issuing pardons to 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes. That marks the largest number of commutations by a president in a single day. Lisa Desjardins discussed more with Mark Osler, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis and an expert on presidential clemency.

President-elect Trump settled a defamation lawsuit with ABC News for $15 million. That suit followed a segment in which George Stephanopolous inaccurately said Trump had been found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carrol when in fact, he had been found liable in a civil case for sexual abuse. Amna Nawaz discussed more with New York Times reporter David Enrich.

The election may have ended over a month ago, but Tuesday marks the day Donald Trump’s victory becomes official. Across the country, hundreds of presidential electors gathered in their states to cast their Electoral College votes, an often ceremonial but essential step in the process of confirming the election results. Geoff Bennett discussed the significance with Jessica Huseman of Votebeat.

There are a few weeks left until the Democratic Party faces Republican majorities in Congress. After a decisive loss in the presidential election, Democrats have been at odds over their future and direction during the new Trump era. Rep. Greg Casar of Texas was elected as the new chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and discussed his vision for the party with Lisa Desjardins.

President Biden has commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 prisoners on federal death row who will stay in prison for life but will not be subject to executions. Biden's move is likely motivated by the incoming Trump administration's expected hard line policy shift on federal executions. Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, joins William Brangham to discuss.

By — Saher Khan The 2024 campaign was unlike any in modern American history. But one thing united candidates across the political spectrum, they were all searching for messages that would resonate with voters.