Veteran US newsman, Jim Lehrer, dies at 85

The longtime PBS NewsHour anchor and a 12-time moderator for U.S. presidential debates, Jim Lehrer, died on Thursday at the age of 85. Lehrer was born in 1934 in Kansas. After starting out as a print reporter in Texas, Lehrer went on to become the anchor for PBS's NewsHour for 36 years before retiring in 2011. Lehrer is the author of 20 novels, three memoirs, and several plays and earned dozens of journalism awards and honorary degrees. He received the National Humanities Medal from President Clinton and was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.