PBS News Hour full episode, May 21, 2026

A significant number of Senate Republicans openly opposed President Trump's requests for funding a White House ballroom and a controversial $1.77 billion 'anti-weaponization fund' intended to compensate those 'politically prosecuted.' This opposition, fueled by concerns over the fund's scope (potentially including January 6 rioters) and transparency (a one-page bullet point document from the Acting Attorney General), led to the temporary collapse of the Secure America Act, a bill primarily funding ICE and CBP.

Lisa Desjardins reported that 'Republican senators en masse pushed back at the White House today, saying, at least for now, President Trump's request for funding have gone too far.' The $1.77 billion settlement was to 'establish a so-called weaponization fund to compensate those thought to be politically prosecuted.' Senator Tuberville of Alabama publicly stated that 'many January 6 defendants should be compensated.'

New Mexico enacted a pioneering law, Senate Bill 264, that prohibits armed federal personnel, including ICE and the National Guard, from interfering in the election process near polling places. This legislation establishes civil and criminal penalties, including a fourth-degree felony for federal agents or their superiors who violate the ban. The law was a direct response to President Trump's statements about potentially deploying federal forces to ensure 'honest elections' and concerns about voter intimidation.

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver stated, 'neither the National Guard nor ICE nor any federal entity has a role in the election process or a responsibility or the power to interfere.' She added, 'it will be a fourth-degree felony if either an agent of a federal agency like ICE or a superior who orders them under color of law to interfere with the election process.'

Theo Baker's book, 'How to Rule the World,' exposes how Stanford University is deeply intertwined with Silicon Valley, creating a culture where venture capitalists aggressively 'talent spot' students for start-up ideas. This environment, while fostering innovation, also 'inculcates a series of deceptive and fraudulent business practices.' Baker's own reporting as a freshman uncovered research misconduct by then-Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, leading to his resignation, despite initial attempts to deter the investigation.

Theo Baker described V.C.s 'flooding the campus, trying to pour money and time and resources into some of these students.' He noted, 'Stanford is so much more entangled with Silicon Valley... Stanford even has its own V.C. fund to seed students' new companies.' His investigation 'uncovering research misconduct in scientific papers that were co-authored by the powerful Stanford president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne,' ultimately led to his ousting.

The Democratic National Committee's controversial autopsy report on its 2024 election defeat was released, with DNC Chair Ken Martin disavowing its findings. The report criticized Joe Biden's team for failing to position Kamala Harris for success and Democrats for relying too heavily on 'negative partisanship' (asking voters to fear Republicans rather than believe in Democrats). Notable omissions included President Biden's age and the war in Gaza, which strategist Faiz Shakir attributed to 'the influence of money' purchasing silence.

DNC Chair Ken Martin stated, 'I am not proud of this product. It does not meet my standards and it won't meet your standards.' The report 'blames Joe Biden's political team for not positioning Kamala Harris for success' and 'does not mention Mr. Biden's age or the war in Gaza.' Faiz Shakir commented, 'Money is buying, purchasing silence.'

The cancellation of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' by CBS, officially cited as a financial decision, is widely perceived to be influenced by political pressure from President Trump. Trump had publicly criticized Colbert, and the cancellation occurred as CBS parent company Paramount sought government approval for a merger. This event, alongside similar pressures faced by Jimmy Kimmel, raises questions about the extent of political intervention in television programming and the future of politically charged comedy.

CBS announced 'The Late Show''s cancellation last July, 'insisting it was a purely financial decision.' However, 'many believed politics was at play' due to 'Colbert's regular roasts [drawing] the ire of President Trump,' who posted that Colbert was 'a pathetic train wreck.' Comedian Larry Wilmore noted, 'We have never had TV shows kind of be determined by the direct political intervention of the president.'