PBS News Hour full episode, Feb. 11, 2026

The temporary closure of El Paso's commercial airspace, initially blamed on Mexican drug cartels by the Trump administration, was likely triggered by the Pentagon testing a new high-energy laser defense system near Fort Bliss. The FAA, caught off guard by the unannounced test, made a sweeping decision to halt flights for 10 days, then quickly reversed course, leading to widespread confusion and criticism over a severe lack of communication between federal agencies and local authorities.

Juliette Kayyem, former DHS Assistant Secretary, stated that 'everything we heard from the administration was essentially not accurate' and that the Pentagon 'perhaps they tested it out prematurely. The FAA gets nervous, says we don't know what's going on in the sky and makes a sweeping judgment.' El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson decried the 'unacceptable' failure to coordinate with the city, airport, and hospitals.

While January 2026 saw 130,000 jobs added and unemployment edged down to 4.3%, newly revised data revealed a much weaker 2025, with only 181,000 net jobs added—400,000 fewer than initially reported and a fraction of 2024's growth. Job creation is concentrated in a few sectors like healthcare, social assistance, construction, and professional services, while information technology, financial services, and the federal government experienced declines, partly due to AI investment and reduced immigration.

Harry Holzer, Georgetown University professor, noted that 'almost all of the job creation is limited to a few key sectors' and that 'the economy weakened in 2025' due to 'policy environment was so chaotic, tariffs and immigration cuts'. He also mentioned companies investing heavily in AI 'with the idea that they're going to save them on labor costs'.

Despite President Trump's stated opposition to annexation, Israel's Security Cabinet approved measures making it easier for Jewish settlers to acquire Palestinian land in the West Bank. This move, openly championed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as a way to 'bury the idea of a Palestinian state,' is seen by experts like Dennis Ross and Alan Eyre as directly counter to U.S. strategic interests, including the 20-point peace plan for Gaza and the Abraham Accords. The two-state solution is considered 'deader than Vaudeville' in the near term.

Dennis Ross stated, 'If you pay attention to the Trump 20 points, point 19 says if the Palestinian Authority faithfully carries out reform, that will create the pathway to self-determination and statehood for the Palestinians.' He added that Smotrich's actions are 'designed to foreclose any possibility of a Palestinian state.' Alan Eyre affirmed Trump 'does have leverage' to stop it, but questioned if he would use it, and called the two-state solution 'deader than Vaudeville'.

Attorney General Pam Bondi endured a contentious hearing, facing sharp criticism over the Department of Justice's handling of poorly redacted Jeffrey Epstein files that endangered survivors, and accusations of using law enforcement to target President Trump's political foes. Lawmakers questioned selective redactions and the DOJ's role in controversial immigration enforcement operations, leading to a heated exchange with Bondi defending the president and deflecting blame.

Rep. Jamie Raskin accused Bondi, 'As attorney general, you're siding with the perpetrators and you're ignoring the victims.' Rep. Pramila Jayapal pressed Bondi to apologize to survivors for the 'unacceptable release of the Epstein files.' Rep. Steve Cohen criticized the DOJ for not investigating federal officers who killed U.S. citizens in Minnesota.

A federal grand jury halted the Trump administration's attempt to prosecute six Democratic lawmakers who urged military and intelligence personnel to disobey illegal orders. Congressman Jason Crow, one of the targeted lawmakers, viewed this as a victory for the Constitution and a sign that the justice system, despite attempts to abuse it, is working. He vowed to seek accountability for those in the administration who weaponized the justice system against political opponents.

Rep. Jason Crow stated, 'The founders of our Constitution knew that this could happen, knew that exactly the scenario that played out yesterday could play out, that you would have a runaway, rogue, lawless administration that would abuse the system. The system is working.' He also listed instances where Donald Trump allegedly violated the law or threatened unlawful actions.

Boston, a birthplace of American independence, continues to grapple with the unfulfilled promise of its founding principles, particularly regarding racial equality. The city's history of fierce resistance against British tyranny is juxtaposed with its turbulent past of racial segregation, notably the 1970s busing crisis in Charlestown. Decades later, Boston's public schools remain largely segregated and many students, disproportionately students of color, fail to meet core curriculum standards, reflecting 'factors from the past... that were never settled.'

Nathaniel Philbrick noted, 'You see factors from the past, from the really distant past, hundreds and hundreds of years before, that were never settled.' Former Boston Mayor Kim Janey stated, 'Fifty years later, are schools still lack quality and they are not integrated. Our schools are still very much racially segregated here in Boston.' Denise Pruitt recounted being spit on by a white parent during busing.