Homelessness in America reached record-high numbers in 2024. A government report shows that in January, people experiencing homelessness shot up by 18 percent to roughly 770,000. The annual survey pointed to economic problems like rising housing costs and a migrant influx in some cities. Lisa Desjardins discussed more with Shaun Donovan, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Friday, South Korea's parliament impeached acting president Han Duck-soo after he decided against appointing three judges to the court reviewing the impeachment of his predecessor, the White House sees signs Russian defense systems may be to blame for a plane crash and Palestinian health officials say Israeli soldiers raided one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Unrest is brewing in Syria's coastal plains, home to the Assad family's Alawite sect. Earlier this week, a group of regime loyalists staged an ambush on the now-governing rebel forces, killing 14. With the Shia Alawite sect making up only 10 percent of the population in the majority Sunni country, Syria's de-facto ruler is trying to keep tensions from boiling over. Simona Foltyn reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Lisa Desjardins to discuss the week in politics, including tensions in Trump's circle over immigration policy, President Biden's pardons and commutations and polling shows that Americans are feeling deeply fatigued after the turbulent year in politics. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Winter is a time that brings a heightened risk of fires inside the home. The vast majority of those fires can be prevented with some simple steps. Jason Patton is a firefighter and paramedic at Riviera Beach Fire Rescue in Florida and runs the wildly popular YouTube channel "Fire Department Chronicles." He joined William Brangham to discuss fire safety tips. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As 2024 comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the year's biggest stories through the images of photojournalists. We spoke with four photographers who documented the presidential campaign, the protests over the war in Gaza, the Paris Olympics and much more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

There are early indications a Russian air defense system may have hit the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan, a U.S. official says. Some of the speculation focuses on damage to the plane's tail section that could have been caused by shrapnel from an exploding missile. Stephanie Sy reports and William Brangham discusses the crash with retired Army Col. Robert Hamilton. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Thursday, five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a TV broadcast van, Israel escalated attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen, authorities in Finland detained a ship with suspected Russian ties to investigate whether it damaged a major undersea power cable and Australia is facing some of its worst fire conditions in years. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Now that the Assad regime in Syria has fallen, the full scale of that government's production and distribution of illicit drugs is coming to light. Leila Molana-Allen reports from the drug factories in Syria. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Most college students are on their winter break gathering with family and friends. But some from outside the United States may return to campus early this holiday season after several universities and colleges are advising them that the incoming Trump administration may make it more difficult for them to return later. Lisa Desjardins explains. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

More than 3,000 Native American children died in the custody of the U.S. government after being forced to attend so-called Indian boarding schools, according to an investigation by The Washington Post. That is three times the number of lives lost that the government documented in its own investigation released earlier this year. William Brangham discussed more with Dana Hedgpeth. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders