May 9, 2024 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Will the Biden administration's holding up sending bombs to pressure Israel from launching a large-scale assault on Rafah have the desired effect? Nick Schifrin has views from Dennis Ross, who played leading roles in the Middle East peace process for more than 12 years, and Tom Malinowski, former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy and Human Rights during the Obama administration.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said his country would “stand alone if necessary," in response to President Biden’s move to pause deliveries of some bombs to Israel. That decision has created a possible turning point in the U.S.-Israel relationship and the war in Gaza. Israel is poised to expand its operation in Rafah, a step the U.S. is warning Netanyahu not to take. Nick Schifrin reports.

In our news wrap Thursday, the Deep South faced a new wave of severe storms and possible tornadoes, Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard amid unrelenting rain and flooding, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warned his country faces a difficult task in the east as Russian forces gain ground and 25 Republican attorneys general sued the EPA over carbon emissions.

The adult film actress at the center of Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial finished her testimony after more than seven hours in total on the stand. Stormy Daniels was questioned by the former president's defense attorney in a tense cross-examination that tried to paint her as an opportunist. William Brangham reports from New York.

The Biden administration proposed new changes to the asylum system that would expedite the removal of certain migrants. The new rules would apply to migrants with criminal histories or deemed as national security risks and would be unlikely to receive asylum. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports.

As schools grapple with how to keep students off their cell phones, one Connecticut school took a blunt approach. In Manchester, Illing Middle School requires students to lock phones in a pouch until the end of the day. It comes as lawmakers in at least half a dozen states are pushing their schools to curb phone use. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Illing assistant principal Raymond Dolphin.

Earlier this month, the Federal Aviation Administration approved the first training program in the country for electric aviation. The program is just one part of a small but burgeoning effort to develop greener battery-powered aircraft for more routine use over time. Aviation correspondent Miles O'Brien reports.

A new book offers a new way to understand one of America's most important presidents. Jeffrey Brown sat down with author Edward O'Keefe to discuss, "The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President." It's for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.