AMNA NAWAZ: Good evening.

I'm Amna# Nawaz.

Geoff Bennett is on assignment.

On the "NewsHour" tonight: Israel bombards Rafah,## as its leaders respond with defiance to# President Biden freezing some weapons deliveries.

Stormy Daniels clashes with# Donald Trump's legal team,## as she takes the stand for a second day# in the former presidents hush money trial.

And a look at a battery-powered aircraft## that could lead the transition# away from fossil-fueled flight.

EMMA DAVIS, Beta Technologies: You can get in# it, you can fly in it, you can carry cargo in## it.

This aircraft isn't a gimmick.

It is# a real-world aircraft.

It is reliable.

(BREAK) AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "NewsHour."

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu# said his country.. if necessary," a response# to President Biden's recent## 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, with the fate of# hostage negotiations in the balance.

Israel is now poised to# expand its operation in Rafah,## a step the U.S. is warning Netanyahu not to take.

Nick Schifrin begins our coverage.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In Southern Israel, tanks# are massed and nearly ready for an assault.## They fire at Rafah, where ongoing airstrikes# ripped the roofs off homes, toppled minarets,## and killed victims who are so easy to# carry, the burden becomes all the heavier.

And President Biden is concerned an# expanded military operation would## kill more Gazans, like Yazan Hassan Mohana (ph).

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States:# Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a## consequence of those bombs and other ways# in which they go after population centers.

And I made it clear that, if they go into Rafah# -- they haven't gone into Rafah yet.

If they go## into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that# have been used historically to deal with Rafah.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But Hamas fights from# Rafah, including with mortars that## last weekend killed four Israeli soldiers# and blocked humanitarian aid.

Israel is## determined to eliminate Hamas' final four# battalions no matter what the U.S. says,## Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Israeli Prime Minister# (through translator): If we need to stand## alone, we will stand alone.

I# have said that.. we will fight with fingernails.

But# we have much more than fingernails.## And with that same strength of spirit,# with God's help, together, we will win.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The fighting has forced# some 80,000 Gazans, many already displaced,## to flee Rafah.

The main hospital# is closed, its rooms abandoned.

Humanitarian aid shelves are nearly bare.

And# fuel trucks are stuck in Egypt.

There's only## one to two days of fuel left since Israel seized# and closed the border, the U.N. said this week.

DR. MICHAEL J. RYAN, World Health Organization:# The first act is to stop the fuel, stop the food,## stop the medicine at source, at the border.# I don't call that limited, and I don't call## that restricted.

I call that a reimposition of# total blockade on nearly 2.5 million civilians.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The fate of# Rafah is connected to the## fate of Israeli hostages.

Every night# their families march through Tel Aviv,## demanding the government accept a deal that# would pause the war to release their loved ones.

Today, National Security Communications# Adviser John Kirby said the U.S. shares## Israel's strategic goal of an enduring# defeat of Hamas, but said it disagreed with## how to achieve it.

Smashing into Rafah,# Kirby said, will not get Israel there.

And, Amna, he also said it's unacceptable# that the Rafah Crossing is not open.

AMNA NAWAZ: Nick, you mentioned there in your# report how the fate of Rafah is intertwined## with the fate of those hostages still held in# Gaza.

What's the status of those negotiations?

NICK SCHIFRIN: CIA Director Bill Burns,## who has been leading these# negotiations, has left the region.

But U.S. officials tell me that that does# not mean the negotiations have stopped.

But## there's clearly a difference between the U.S.# and Israel on how those negotiations should## proceed.

Israel has argued that President Biden's# decision about pausing some weapons deliveries## and making that decision public actually# strengthens Hamas' negotiating position.

But Kirby today argued that a major operation# by Israel in Rafah would actually strengthen## Hamas' negotiation position, because he said that# operation would show that Israel is not interested## in actually achieving a cease-fire-for-hostage# deal, and it would cause more civilian casualties,## therefore putting more diplomatic# and international pressure on Israel.

But it's all coming to a head.

Israel said# the end of this week is the deadline.

They## will launch that major operation in# Rafah if there is not a hostage deal.

AMNA NAWAZ: Nick Schifrin# beginning our coverage tonight.

Nick, thank you.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ:## In the day's other headlines: Large# stretches of the Deep South faced## a new wave of severe storms,# including possible tornadoes.

Dangerous conditions delayed flights in Atlanta# and Charlotte and closed schools in some places.## A day earlier, Tennessee reported multiple# tornadoes and saw barrages of massive hail.## The storms also left widespread destruction and# hundreds of thousands of people without power.## In all, four people have died this# week from the extreme weather.

Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency# and activated the National Guard amid unrelenting## rain and flooding.

The U.S. territory has had# more than 10 inches of rain in just two days,## turning streets into rivers and triggering# landslides.

Officials say one person is missing,## several people have been rescued from# rooftops and crops have been badly damaged.

In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned## today his country faces a -- quote --# "really difficult situation" in the east,## as Russian forces gain ground.

Zelenskyy# spoke in Kyiv with the president of the## European Parliament.

He said new military aid# from the United States needs to arrive soon.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, Ukrainian President# (through translator): With an increase in## the supply of weapons, we will be a.. they seized the initiative there.

This is# no secret.

We need to stop them, take the## initiative into our own hands.

This is possible# only when you have something strong in your hands.

AMNA NAWAZ: Zelenskyy's comments followed a# week of heavy Russian bombardments.

Today,## officials confirmed that two hydropower# plants were knocked out in the assault.

In the meantime, a Ukrainian drone attack# today damaged an energy plant more than 900## miles inside Russian territory.

That is# the deepest strike yet by Kyiv's forces.

Russia focused on a different conflict today,# its defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.## Victory Day brought parades and pageantry# orchestrated by President Vladimir Putin.## On a cold, snowy day in Moscow, military# regiments marched and tanks rolled through## Red Square.

Putin thanked those fighting# in Ukraine and said the country is united.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President (through# translator): We celebrate Victory Day in the## context of the special military operation.# All its participants, those who are .. front line, on the line of combat contact,# are our heroes.

All of Russia is with you.

AMNA NAWAZ: Putin has used World War# II to justify his invasion of Ukraine,## claiming without evidence that the# goal is to root out a neo-Nazi regime.

Back in this country, 25 Republican# attorneys general sued the Environmental## Protection Agency over carbon emissions.# They're challenging a rule that would cut## those emissions from coal-fired power# plants by 90 percent over eight years.

West Virginia's attorney general said the mandate# is -- quote -- "setting up the plants to fail,## and therefore shutter, altering the# nation's already stretched grid."

On Wall Street, stocks managed to gain some# ground today.

The Dow Jones industrial average## was up 331 points to close at 39387.

The# Nasdaq rose 43 points.

The S&P 500 added 26.

And the World Video Game Hall# of Fame in Rochester, New York,## has five new honorees.

The class of 2024 includes# "Asteroids," which debuted in arcades in 1979,## plus "Ultima," Resident Evil," "Myst," and# "SimCity."

The Hall of Fame recognizes all## types of electronic games, including arcade,# counsel, computer, handheld, and mobile.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": the# Biden administration proposes changes## to the asylum system that would speed# up deportations for certain migrants;## a middle school's unique and successful approach# to keeping students off their cell phones;## and a new book takes a look at the women# who shaped President Theodore Roosevelt.

More now on the Biden administration's decision# to suspend some weapons deliveries to Israel## to pressure it against a large-scale# invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah.

Nick Schifrin is back here in studio now.

And, Nick, as you have been reporting, President# Biden wants the Netanyahu government to do more## to limit civilian deaths in Rafah, where more# than a million people are now sheltering -- Nick.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Amna, the decision# pauses the delivery of 3,500 bombs,## about half of them 2,000-pound bombs# that the U.S. police have caused the## most civilian casualties in Gaza.# President Biden also warned that## more weapons deliveries could be paused if# Israel launches that full invasion of Rafah.

So, will the decision have the desired effect?

For that, we get two views.

Ambassador Dennis# Ross played leading roles in the Middle East## peace process for more than 12 years.

He is# now a counselor and a distinguished fellow## at the Washington Institute for Near# East Policy, a Washington think tank.

And Tom Malinowski was assistant# secretary of state for democracy,## human rights and labor during the Obama# administration, and is a former member## of Congress.

He's now a nonresident# senior fellow at the McCain Institute.

Thanks very much to both of you.# Welcome back to the "NewsHour."

Ambassador Ross, let me start with you.

Will the Israeli government now take more into# account Biden administration over Rafah than## it would have had this decision not# been made and not been made public?

DENNIS ROSS, Former U.S.

Envoy to Middle# East: Look, it's an excellent question.

My sense is, from a political standpoint, it# will be harder for Prime Minister Netanyahu## to look like he's responding to President# Biden, not in terms of the body politic## of Israel as a whole, but in terms of# the right-wing of his own coalition.

So how he manages that, I think, remains## to be seen.

Now, having said that, I# don't see him wanting to put Israel in## a position where suddenly it's losing access# to some of the munitions it's likely to need,## not so much for Rafah, but because it still faces# very real threats from Hezbollah in the north.

It's not in Israel's interest# to create an image of a gap,## a division with the United States.

That could# make a conflict in the north with Hezbollah## more likely.

And, frankly, it's also not# in Israel's interest, because I think## it probably also increases the Hamas sense, or# at least Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza,## increases his sense that he really doesn't# need to make any decisions at all right now.

He's going to play upon the divisions# between the United States and Israel.## So I think both Israel and the# United States have an interest## in finding a way to change that# image that there's a division.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Tom Malinowski, same question.# Is Bibi Netanyahu more likely to take U.S.## warnings seriously today than he# was before this was made public?

FMR.

REP. TOM MALINOWSKI (D-NJ): Well,# he wasn't taking them seriously before.

And that's why the president# made this decision.

Look,## this is the most pro-Israel president in# American history, who's just reached his## limit after months and months of trying to# break through to this government in Israel.

We're still supporting Israel.

He's also# the first president just last month to put## American armed forces on the line defending# Israel against attacks, shooting down... NICK SCHIFRIN: This is the Iranian attack, right.

FMR.

REP. TOM MALINOWSKI: Exactly,## shooting down hundreds of..

He's just decided something that I think should# be noncontroversial, that we shouldn't be arming## a foreign country to do something that the# United States thinks should not be done.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Dennis Ross, take on# that last point.

Should the United## States be arming a country, Israel in this case,## to do something that it doesn't want# done, namely the invasion of Rafah?

DENNIS ROSS: It's pretty# hard to quarrel with that,## because the fact is, Israel has# its set of interests, but so do we.

And if we to do something that# is wrong or crossed the line or,## in fact, is counterproductive, which is# the real reason that the president has## adopted the position he has -- yes,# there's a moral dimension to this,## but he actually thinks this is self-defeating,# if Israel goes into Rafah on the ground.

Now, having said that, again, the# administration's position is actually## not different from Israel's that Hamas# should not be in control, not only of Gaza,## but they shouldn't be in control of Rafah.

There# ought to be a way for the administration and## Israel to reach an understanding on what# is a way to deal with the Hamas presence## in Rafah without putting at risk 1.3 million# people who are crammed into a very small area.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Well, that is certainly# what the U.S. wants.

Netanyahu has said,## at least publicly, that he needs to go into Rafah.

The impact on the hostage negotiations is the real# divide here.

Israel has accused President Biden,## essentially, of relieving pressure on Sinwar,# as Ambassador Ross said.

John Kirby made the## opposite case, that an invasion of Rafah would# actually hurt Israel in the negotiations.

Tom Malinowski, what do you think?

FMR.

REP. TOM MALINOWSKI: I agree with John Kirby.

But, also, I think that, for Prime Minister# Netanyahu to make that argument doesn't make## a lot of sense to me, because it was Prime# Minister Netanyahu who said repeatedly over## the last several days that he would go into# Rafah whether there's a hostage deal or not.

He took away his own leverage by# making those statements and put## the United States and our allies in the# region in a -- our other allies in the## region in the difficult position of trying# to convince Hamas, you have to give up the## hostages anyway and we will somehow try# to restrain the Israelis from doing this.

So, I don't think he can have it both ways.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Ambassador# Ross, take on that point,## that Netanyahu took away his own leverage by# arguing he was going into Rafah regardle.. DENNIS ROSS: Yes, I think it was a mistake for him# to say that.

I think he was saying it because he## was trying to appease his ministers on the far# right, meaning Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.

The most important leverage Israel# has with Sinwar -- and, again, Sinwar,## I think, is different than the political# leadership of Hamas.

The key to, I think,## putting pressure under him is him feeling that# there's a noose that's tightening around his neck.

But, from that standpoint, the# threat of going into Rafah is## far more impressive than actually doing it,# number one.

Number two, if you were saying,## we won't go into Rafah if there's a hostage# release, that too increases the leverage.

I am concerned that, if it looks like we're# doing everything we can to prevent a threat## against Rafah, that that gives Sinwar a certain# degree of comfort.

So I think there is a great## value in the U.S. and the Israelis reaching an# agreement on, A, we share the same strategic## objective as it relates to Hamas in Gaza --# I mean, in Rafah and Gaza more generally,## but, B, we have reached an understanding about how# to contend with how to remove Hamas from Rafah.

I think that is something that can be achievable.# I do think the issue with Netanyahu relates much## more to the politics of his coalition# than to the reality of what it will take## to succeed in Rafah and to do it in a way that# is consistent with what the U.S. can live with.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Well, when it comes# to the politics of the coalition,## we have got a few graphics to show here.

We have got a tweet from a member of the# coalition who is National Security Minister## Itamar Ben-Gvir right there in response to# the decision, tweeting: "Hamas loves Biden."

And a Jerusalem Post editorial,# there you go, "Betrayal of Allies."

So, Tom Malinowski, in the minute we# have left, is some of the responses,## especially within Netanyahu's# coalition, is that posturing or## is that genuine anger ahead of Israeli# Independence Day, and does it matter?

FMR.

REP. TOM MALINOWSKI: I think they're amping# up the drama.

I think they're hoping to affect## the American political debate on this, hoping# that somehow they can go around Biden and have## others pressure the administration# to change course, which won't work.

I -- those statements, particularly from ministers## who have been convicted by Israeli courts# of support for terrorism themselves,## are not going to have a lot of impact on the# Biden administration's calculus, nor should they.

I think, when the drama subsides, I agree with# Ambassador Ross that, at the end of the day,## Israel and the United States need each# other.

Israel needs the United States## and the supply of weapons that we provide# and the political support that we provide.

And I think the understanding, the common# understanding that Ambassador Ross rightly## says is necessary, about how to actually# defeat Hamas will be where we end up.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Tom Malinowski, Ambassador# Dennis Ross, thank you very much to you both.

DENNIS ROSS: Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ:## The adult film actress at the center of# former President Trump's criminal hush## money trial finished her testimony today# after more than seven hours on the stand.

Stormy Daniels spent the morning being# questioned by Trump's defense attorney## in a tense cross-examination that tried# to paint her as an opportunist.

She was## just one of several witnesses# who appeared in court today.

Our William Brangham has been covering# this.

He joins us now from New York.

So, New York, Ms. Daniels -- rather, William,# Ms. Daniels finished her second and her last## day on the stand today.

We're saying she's at# the center of this trial, but she's not really## involved in any of the hush money repayments that# Mr. Trump is accused of trying to conceal here.

So tell us a little bit about# what she did testify to today.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: No, that's exactly right, Amna.

She has testified that she has no direct# knowledge of the charges.. center of this falsifying business# records case, but yet, as you said,## she is also at the very center of this case.# And her testimony continued today with her## finishing telling the story of this alleged# one-time sexual encounter she had with Donald## Trump at a celebrity golf tournament years# ago in Lake Tahoe, and the then $130,000## that she negotiated to get paid to silence# that story and make sure it never came out.

And Trump's legal team# today, led by Susan Necheles,## tried to poke holes in inconsistencies# that she has given over the years,## trying to say that she's not told a consistent# story.

There were lots of little examples of this.

Like, one example, they spent# a good deal of time trying to## parse out whether Stormy Daniels# ever said that she ate dinner,## literally ate a meal with him in that# room that night of this alleged affair.

Necheles also tried to# paint her, as you mentioned,## as solely being out for money and said,# how much money were you making on the## documentary and the book and the interviews# that you have given over the years?

I mean, it was very testive -- testy,# very combative.

And there were times## where Daniels seemed extremely defiant,# and there were times where she seemed## to actually enjoy the jousting back and# forth.

In contrast to how she was Tuesday,## where she seemed much more nervous, today,# she seemed much more eager for the fight.

In fact, there was one point at which Necheles# was trying to show all the merchandise that she## sells on her Web site and through her# Instagram page, where she is promoting## appearances at strip clubs, where she makes# some mention of her relationship with Trump.

And Necheles was saying, you know, you're# trying to capitalize on this.

And Daniels said,## in essence, yes, that's my job, merchandising# myself and selling things with my name on it,## not too dissimilar from what Trump does, she said.

So, a very, very combative day today.

AMNA NAWAZ: (AUDIO GAP) for a moment.

There# were some witnesses who did have a more direct## relationship to those repayments at the center# of this trial.

What did they have to testify to?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: That's right.

There wa.. test -- who told basically about how checks# were cut from the Trump Organization and sent## to Washington, D.C., to the White House for Trump# to sign them and then send them back to New York.

Some of these checks are at the core of this case# of the alleged repayment to Michael Cohen.

Another## former executive assistant from the White House,# a woman named Madeleine Westerhout, testified## about receiving some of those checks and seeing# Donald Trump sign some of them in the Oval Office.

She also detailed scheduling a very# crucial meeting where Michael Cohen## came to meet Donald Trump at the White# House while he was president, and,## allegedly, they discussed the White House -- this# repayment scheme that's the center of this case.

So those were the other# witnesses we heard from today.

AMNA NAWAZ: And, William, we know Mr.# Trump's lawyers took issue with some of## the details that Stormy Daniels# testified to.

They again asked## for a mistrial and for a change to Mr.# Trump's gag order.

What happened there?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: That's right, the -- two things.

Modifying the gag order, trump's lawyers argued# that all of these details that .. now that Daniels is off the witness# stand, that Trump should be freed## from his gag order and be able to directly# try to rebut her publicly on social media.

The second one is, they argued for this mistrial,# as you mentioned.

And they were alleging,## Trump's lawyers were alleging that Daniels# was somehow telling a different story about## this alleged sexual encounter, implying that# she was saying that there was some level of## coercion going on there, and that Trump --# that this is completely unfair, that this## is a new story they had never heard before, and# that all of these details that she testified to## over seven hours are prejudicial to the jury,# and they need to have the trial thrown out.

The judge in both of these cases said --# denied the motions by Trump's lawyers.

And## Trump was quite, seemingly, visibly angry# towards the end of the day today.

And at## the end of the day's proceedings, he went out# into the hallway, as he often does and today,## in a particularly angry way,# lashed out at the judge.

Let's hear what he had to say.

DONALD TRUMP, Former President of#the United States (R) ... Everybody saw what happened today.

He's a# corrupt judge, and he's totally conflicted.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Both of those# motions were denied by his team.

Testimony resumes tomorrow.

And,# again, as is always the case,## we don't know who will be on# the witness stand tomorrow.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, that is William# Brangham covering the legal cases around## former President Donald Trump# joining us in New York tonight.

William, thank you.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Thanks, Amna.

AMNA NAWAZ:##The Biden administration proposed a cha... the U.S. asylum system today that would expedite## the removal of certain migrants.

The regulation# under consideration would apply to migrants with## criminal histories or deemed as national security# risks who would be unlikely to receive asylum.

Following all of this is our White# House correspondent, Laura Barron-Lopez.

Laura, you spoke with some Homeland# Security Department officials earlier## today who briefed you on this change.

What# did they share with you about the plan?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, a senior DHS# official essentially said that this## change allows asylum officers to take# into consideration if they think that## a migrant may be a threat to public# safety, a threat to national security## at an earlier stage of that asylum process# than is previously allowed under the law.

Currently, under the law, asylum --# currently, in the asylum process,## those potential threats are taken into# consideration when they're deciding -- when## the government is deciding whether or not# a migrant can be granted asylum.

But it's## typically when they're in court facing# a judge, have a lawyer by their side.

This makes it so that would be possible# during the credible fear interview stage,## which happens within the first one to two days of## a migrant arriving.

So that's the big# change here, Amna, is to the timeline.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, do any of the measures# or proposals announced today, do they## have any impact on the southern border right now?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, that proposed rule won't# have an immediate impact, because it's a proposal.

And so, of course, it has to go through# the process that all regulations have## to go through.

But the DHS official who# spoke to reporters today said that the## administration believes that they will# go through this regulation, the process,## expeditiously, that it could very well be# finalized before the November election.

And one other thing, though, that the Homeland## Security Department announced today# that would take effect immediately, Amna, is new guidance that was issued to asylum# officers, a revised guidance that says that,## during, again, that credible fear interview,# which happens within the first few days of a## migrant arriving and whether or not they're# determining if they are granted asylum,## during that interview, asylum officers can now# try to figure out whether or not those migrants## can be relocated internally to the country# that they came from safely, and if they can## safely return to the country that they're from and# live there and not fear violence or retribution.

And that's something that initially was# not something that asylum officers did## that early in the stage.

So that's something# that is going to have an immediate effect.

One thing I want to say, though, about that# proposed regulation, Amna, and when it does## take effect, is that the experts that I spoke# to said that it may only impact a small number## of migrants.

The DHS official did not want to tell# us an exact estimate of how many migrants it would## impact, but the legal immigration experts that I# spoke to said that it would be a small percentage.

AMNA NAWAZ: So what about the timing of all of# this, Laura?

What does your reporting show you## about why the Biden administration# would propose these changes now?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: As we both reported,# Amna, President Biden has been considering## unilateral actions because of the fact that# his efforts to negotiate with Congress,## to seek out a bipartisan border# agreement totally failed because## Republicans killed it, despite# the fact that he was trying to## sign on to one of the most conservative# bills that they have considered in decades.

And so the DHS senior official told us today that# they're clear-eyed about executive actions.

They## know that they don't solve all the problems, but# because there has been no action in Congress,## they felt that they needed to take this# step.

And they are also consistently## reviewing other steps that they could# potentially take in the coming months.

Now, of course, Amna, another factor# here is that it is an election year.## And President Biden has been facing a lot# of pressure, not just from Republicans,## but from also Democrats within his own# party, to take more actions on the border.

AMNA NAWAZ: So what is the reality# on the ground at the U.S. southern## border right now?

What are the# facts on the ground we know?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, what we have seen actually# in recent months, there was an increase at the end## of last year in terms of the number of migrants# encountered between ports of entry at the border.

But there has been a decline in# apprehensions at the Southwest## border.

So, when you start in December,# there was more than 200,000 apprehensions## at the southern border.

January, that dropped# to more than 124,000, and then, in February,## 140,000, a slight increase there from January.# But again it dipped in March, which is the## month that we have the most recent data for from# Customs and Border Protection to 137,000, Amna.

And the administration largely# credits actions taken by allies,## taken by the Mexican government to crack down# on immigration as well, for that dip in numbers.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, our White House# correspondent, Laura Barron-Lopez,## reporting on an issue still top# of mind for many voters this year.

Laura, thank you.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ: As schools nationwide grapple with# how to keep students off their cell phones,## one Connecticut school took a blunt approach.

In Manchester, Illing Middle School banned# all cell phone use, requiring students to## lock phones in a pouch until the end of the# school day.

The backlash from students and some## parents was swift.

Illing even offered to have# administrators unlock a student's phone if needed.

But, within weeks, school staff said that wasn't# even necessary.

This comes as lawmakers in at## least a half-a-dozen states are pushing# their schools to curb cell phone use.

Illing Middle School's assistant# principal, Raymond Dolphin, joins me now.

Welcome, and thanks for joining us.

So tell us a little bit about what the problem was## that you were trying to fix in# the first place.

Why the ban?

RAYMOND DOLPHIN, Assistant Principal, Illing# Middle School: The number one problem was that## the cell phones were interfering with the student# -- the learning of our students in the classrooms.

As we administrators were visiting classrooms,# as well as listening to other teachers,## we would regularly hear or witness# ourselves, when the teacher was## providing instruction, students were# being distracted on their cell phones.

AMNA NAWAZ: So you spearheaded this# move.

And we should note this wasn't## about limiting use during the school day or# giving teachers the power to take phones away## if there are problems.

You basically said# no phones all day, that's it, lock it away.

Why that approach?

RAYMOND DOLPHIN: We, as an administrative tea.. we found is that, for even adults, it's really# difficult for them to manage their cell phone use.

And, for students, it's even that much# more challenging, just, as age-appropriate,## for them to struggle even more so.

To just# tell them it's effective to use your phone## at this time and not that time, students weren't# able to handle that.

Any time their phone would## vibrate or an alert would come off or just# throughout the day because they were curious## about a friend's response, they would be -- they# would find themselves looking on their cell phone.

AMNA NAWAZ: What kind of reaction did# you get from students and from parents?

RAYMOND DOLPHIN: So, initially, of course,# our students, they had major resistance.## They thought it was -- they were a lot# -- a lot of them were very, very fearful.

What does it seem -- what does it look# like for me not to have access to my phone,## when this device is something that, for some# students, they would sleep with?

And so it was## a lot of fear there, a lot of frustration.

But# they soon adapted to it and responded very well.

For the majority of our parents, we have# a philosophy out here in Manchester Public## School where we don't just do things to our# community, we do them with them.

And so we## have already sent out surveys and asked a lot of# parents if they were on board and also thought## that there was something that we needed to do.# And they signed up on it as well overwhelmingly.

And so that just left a small minority of## parents that we had to kind of coach# through the process of resistance.

AMNA NAWAZ: There is an expectation, as I'm# sure you have seen in your school community too,## among some parents that they want to be able# to reach their kids during the school day.

They## want their kids to be able to reach them in an# emergency or for support or a similar situation.

Did you see any of that?

And how# do you respond to those concerns?

RAYMOND DOLPHIN: Those concerns are legitimate,# but we already have solutions already built in.

Every single classroom that we have# in this building has at least one## phone in it, and most of them have two phones.

So,## if something comes up where a student# actually needs to reach their parent,## they can just simply ask for permission, and# they have the opportunity to call their parent.

If the parent wants to reach their student, they# can call the main office and we can get messages## to them.

So you have access to your students.# And the only change is that that immediate,## like this-second reaction to send a text# or send multiple texts is no longer there.

So, families do have to be a little bit more# planned, but that opportunity still exists.

AMNA NAWAZ: Can I ask, just out of# curiosity, the phones in the classrooms,## those are probably landlines.

Is this the first# time some of your kids have had to use a landline?

RAYMOND DOLPHIN: Yes.

(LAUGHTER) RAYMOND DOLPHIN: Yes.

It's# funny that you brought that up,## because we adults were remarking about# that at the beginnin.. just at how many students were# asking us, how do I use this phone?

(LAUGHTER) RAYMOND DOLPHIN: And so we were floored at that.

But there was a lot of students# who had that question, yes.

AMNA NAWAZ: As you know, when you take a look at# the broader picture, the statistics are clear.## The National Center for Education Statistics# found, in 2020, there were already cell phone## bans in place in 76 percent of U.S. schools,# but then another survey found some 97 percent of## students who have cell phones are still using them# during the school day for about 45 minutes or so.

So what is your advice for schools# who want to try to enforce bans,## take cell phones out of the classrooms,# but don't know how to do that?

RAYMOND DOLPHIN: Sure.

So that statistic doesn't surprise me.

That#.. similar.

My advice to everyone is to not treat# the Yondr pouches as the magic solution.

It's## one tool that is a major part of your# overall strategy to solve this problem.

You need to elicit support from parents.

You# need to ensure that, like your school community,## your teacher support staff and administration# are all on the same page, and consistency,## consistency, consistency is# the most important thing.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, that is Illing# Middle School's assistant principal,## Raymond Dolphin, from Manchester,# Connecticut, joining us today.

Assistant Principal Dolphin,# thank you.

Appreciate your time.

RAYMOND DOLPHIN: Thank you very much.

AMNA NAWAZ: 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 air travel.

Our aviation correspondent,# Miles O'Brien, has that report.

MAN: Be great.

Be great.

MILES O'BRIEN: It was game day for Nate Moyer,## a former Air Force test pilot.

He was cool as a# cucumber, facing uncharted airspace ahead.

His## goal?

Fly a new kind of battery-powered# aircraft through a tricky transition.

MAN: Safe area is clear.

Pattern is all yours.

MILES O'BRIEN: It lifted off like a helicopter,## but then he stopped the vertical rotors,# turning the craft into an airplane.

It's called an electric vertical take-off and# landing aircraft, or eVTOL.

It was a pivotal## moment for a company that hopes to lead the# transition away from fossil-fueled flight.

KYLE CLARK, Founder and CEO, Beta Technologies:# I felt like my purpose was to fly.

MILES O'BRIEN: Engineer and avid# aviator Kyle Clark is the founder## and CEO of Beta Technologies,# based in Burlington, Vermont.

KYLE CLARK: Somewhere around 30 years# old, I, like, had this realization,## like, damn.

I do genuinely care not only# about my own kids, but the future of the## world.

And that's when I realized that the# electric aviation had an outsized importance.

MILES O'BRIEN: Right now, aviation# accounts for about 3 percent of## greenhouse gas emissions globally.

But# as airline travel increases and other## transportation sectors get greener, that piece# of the climate emergency pie is growing fast.

Is aviation responding quickly# enough to this challenge?

KYLE CLARK: In my view, aviation# absolutely isn't responding quick enough.

MILES O'BRIEN: That's because aviation# remains skeptical of electric flight.## Lithium ion batteries are about 24 times# heavier than jet fuel for the same amount## of energy.

That might seem like a showstopper# for an industry obsessed with weight watching.

But the energy density of new# lithium ion batteries improves## between 5 and 7 percent annually,# doubling about every seven years.

KYLE CLARK: That means, if we start# development today on a 19-, 30-,## 60-passenger aircraft, it will be# flying 1,300 to 1,500 miles by 2032.

MILES O'BRIEN: The Beta craft# is designed to carry cargo or## five passengers, plus pilot, with a# range of about 250 nautical miles.

In October of 2023, a fixed-wing version# flew more than 2,000 miles to the Florida## Panhandle.

Flight test engineer Emma# Davis coordinated the multileg journey.

EMMA DAVIS, Beta Technologies: You# can get in it, you can fly in it,## you can carry cargo in it.

This aircraft# isn't a gimmick.

It is a real-world## aircraft.

It is reliable.

It can be ready# and available to pick up missions as needed.

MILES O'BRIEN: Proving that is why# they brought the eVTOL here to Duke## Field.

This is where the air force# does its helicopter flight testing.

The Pentagon is interested in seeing# how well eVTOLs might suit its needs## in moving personnel, cargo or on medevac missions.

Colonel Tom Meagher is with the# Air Force innovation lab AFWERX.

COL. TOM MEAGHER, AFWERX: So the# things that we want to learn is,## how do you operate an electric aircraft?

So# that includes not only the infrastructure,## but the maintenance personnel,# operations, the charging.

We want## to learn about all those facets that we# previously don't have experience with.

MILES O'BRIEN: Over the course of# three months, they flew about 100## test missions to civilian and military# airports in Florida, Georgia and Alabama,## testing its performance in the# air and attached to chargers.

It had a near-100 percent dispatch rate.

The# Pentagon hopes to bolster a flourishing homegrown## electric aviation industry.

A decade ago, the# Federal Aviation Administration moved too slowly,## and China took the lead on commercial# drone technology.

It has not looked back.

COL. TOM MEAGHER: We want to make sure that# did not happen with this part of the emerging## aviation sector.

So it was critical that we# established these companies within the U.S.,## so that we have them not only for# near-term use, but also down the## line for not only government use,# but also commercial use cases.

MILES O'BRIEN: But when it comes to electric# aviation, China is not slowing down.

The country## dominates lithium ion battery production and has# already certified one fixed-wing electric airplane## and two eVTOL models; eVTOL manufacturers are# designing their aircraft to be flown autonomously,## but it is far from certain when the Federal# Aviation Administration might approve that.

So, at first, Beta's aircraft will fly with a# pilot on board, carrying cargo.

UPS is a customer,## as is United Therapeutics, a biotech company# focused partly on organ transplantation.## Eventually, Beta envisions unpiloted# missions, carrying both cargo and passengers.

KYLE CLARK: This prop right here, obviously,## it's not pushing a motor or# an engine, so it spins freely.

MILES O'BRIEN: Kyle Clark gave me a# tour of Beta's production facility,## where they aim to build 300 aircraft a# year, a big number in the world of aviation.

KYLE CLARK: We have aspirations of building# more aircraft than that.

There's a lot of## folks in this industry that are talking# about thousands of aircraft per year,## and we believe we're going to get there as well.

MILES O'BRIEN: One of the market# leaders in the U.S., Santa Cruz,## California-based, Joby, is aiming# to build thousands of eVTOL aircraft## that could serve as flying taxis# in traffic-strangled megacities.

JOEBEN BEVIRT, Founder and CEO, Joby# Aviation: We're excited about the day## when this becomes part of people's daily lives.

MILES O'BRIEN: JoeBen Bevirt# is the founder and CEO of Joby.

JOEBEN BEVIRT: Our goal is# absolutely to drive it down## over time to something that's affordable# for many people to use on a regular basis.

MILES O'BRIEN: Delta Air Lines has invested $60# million in Joby.

The airline envisions flying its## customers on Joby eVTOLs to and from the three# existing heliports in Manhattan to JFK Airport.

But Delta CEO Ed Bastian says his company also# invested to learn about electric flight and how## it could be applied to reach Delta's 2050# net carbon zero goal for its entire fleet.

ED BASTIAN, CEO, Delta Air Lines:# It's highly ambitious.

If I said I## had a pathway to that, I'd be kidding# myself.

We're a hard-to-abate sector,## as defined.

I mean, we just don't have# a substitute for jet fuel currently.

MILES O'BRIEN: The race to find a# practical alternative will force## federal regulators to explore and grasp# some technologies that are new to aviation.

Michael Huerta was the FAA# administrator from 2013 to## 2018.

He now sits on the boards of Joby and Delta.

MICHAEL HUERTA, Former Federal Aviation# Administration Administrator: It's not going## to be sufficient to say, this is how .. about, what are new ways to get aircraft# certified, to get pilots into the system,## and to enable operations for what will be# a growing segment of the aviation industry?

MILES O'BRIEN: But there could be a solution# that would reduce aviation's carbon footprint## in the near-term while it charts a course to# a truly carbon-zero future.

And the grease## in this dumpster is a key part of that story.

We will serve up more on# that in our next installment.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm# Miles O'Brien in Boston.

AMNA NAWAZ: A new book offers a fresh way to## understand one of America's# most important presidents.

Jeffrey Brown sits down with author Edward# O'Keefe for our arts and culture series, Canvas.

JEFFREY BROWN: Theodore Roosevelt was known as# a rugged outdoorsman, a naturalist, a soldier,## combative politician, and the 26th president of# the United States, enshrined on Mount Rushmore.

But, as a new book puts it -- quote -- "This most# masculine president in the American memory was,## in fact, the product of largely unsung# and certainly extraordinary women."

The book "The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The# Women Who Created a President" tells of T.R.,## as he was known, shaped by five women,# his mother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt,## his first wife, Alice, who died at 22 after# just four years of marriage, his second wife,## Edith Kermit Roosevelt, and two sisters, Anna# and Corinne, key political strategists and aides.

Author Edward O'Keefe, a longtime# broadcast and digital journalist,## is CEO of Theodore Roosevelt Presidential# Library Foundation, and joins me now.

Welcome to you.

EDWARD O'KEEFE, Author, "The#Loves o.. JEFFREY BROWN: I want to start with, this.. of, but you came to him in a very personal# way through your home state of North Dakota.

Why was he so important to you?

EDWARD O'KEEFE: When you grow up in North# Dakota, you suffer a s.. You have got Roger Maris,# Peggy Lee, Lawrence Welk,## maybe contemporary North Dakotans, Phil Jackson.

JEFFREY BROWN: Those are all good.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: All good.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: But they don't co.. JEFFREY BROWN: He was your guy.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: He was my guy.

I mean, .. Park with my family as a kid, to the# Medora Musical, and the Badlands.

And I was a Red River Rough Rider.

So this was## providential.

It was ordained# that I would be a fan of T.R.

JEFFREY BROWN: OK, a fan.

And# then you want to write about him,## but your way in is through# the women in his life.

Why?

EDWARD O'KEEFE: Well, I mean, Theodore# Roosevelt was -- the myth about Theodore## Roosevelt is that he was a self-made# man.

That is just simply not true.

All of us, if we are fortunate in our lives,# have brothers, sisters, fathers, grandparents,## parents, colleagues, friends, people who pick# us up and push us forward when we're faltering,## when we're suffering or have some sort# of disappointment or setback in our life.

And that is true of Theodore Roosevelt# too.

That's not the story that has been## told by history.

"The Loves of# Theodore Roosevelt" really sheds## a light on some women that have been# forgotten by history for far too long.

JEFFREY BROWN: So let's# talk about a couple of them.

I want to start with one of the# sisters.

Sisters play an interesting## role as behind-the-scenes political# strategists, Anna, for example.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: Bamie -- she's# known as Bamie for Bambina.

JEFFREY BROWN: Yes.

Yes.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: And Bamie is... JEFFREY BROWN: Everybody has# interesting name.. EDWARD O'KEEFE: They all# have nicknames, absolutely.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: So Bamie is what RFK# was to JFK for Theodore Roosevelt.

She is insightful and intelligent.# She sees the political chessboard## and knows exactly where Theodore# Roosevelt should move next.

I mean,## she is an inspiration for T.R.

in many# ways.

She suffered a spinal defect as a## child.

And so she teaches her brother, her# younger brother, how to will through pain.

I mean, that is one of the key facts we know about# Theodore Roosevelt, his just almost superhuman## strength and ability to suffer these physical# feats.

He learned that from his sister Bamie.

And## she is the one that, time after time, she puts him# in the position of assistant secretary of state.

She's the one who has the little White House# down the street from the Oval Office.

And it## is said of Bamie that, had she been a man, she# would have been president of the United States,## not T.R.. And none other than Eleanor# Roosevelt agrees with that assessment.

JEFFREY BROWN: Now, his wife Edith -- this is his## second wife -- you call her# the first modern first lady.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: Yes, Edith kicks open the door of## the American century and pushes# Theodore Roosevelt through it.

I mean, I don't -- there's so much you can# say about Edith.

I mean, she physically## transformed the White House.

She created what# is known as the East Wing and the West Wing,## the executive function of the White# House and the residential function of## the White House.

She built a colonial# garden, which became the Rose Garden.

She had an office next to Theodore's.

And so# she was in the room where it happened because## she designed it that way.

But far beyond the# physical changes to the White House, Edith was## Theodore Roosevelt's key political adviser.# She read four or five newspapers a day.

She## was the first person that T.R.

talked to in the# morning, the last person he talked to at night.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said of Edith that# she managed T.R.

very cleverly without## his being conscious of it, no slight# achievement, anyone will concede.

JEFFREY BROWN: You know, you flicked at this# when you were talking about the sister, but it's## worth saying, I think, these are all, in your# words, extraordinary women, but of their time.

So they had to do all of this behind# the scenes.

They weren't able to be## out front.

They certainly weren't# able to run for office themselves.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: Oh, absolutely.

I mean, we said of Bamie tha.. JEFFREY BROWN: Yes.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: ... she could have been president.

They funneled -- the women in Theodore Roosevelt's## life all funneled their energy into their# brother or their spouse or their son.

They## wanted to see him succeed.

And, in fact,# they obscured their role in history.

"The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt" shows through# meticulous research and brand-new letters that## have never been a part of the historical# record before the story that they didn't## necessarily want told.

They liked the myth# of Theodore Roosevelt, the self-made man.

But I don't think it diminishes T.R.

to# know that he had help, that he had his## sisters, he had his mother, he had# his wives who were there pushing## him along the way.

We all need that in# our lives and are fortunate to have it.

JEFFREY BROWN: How much has the research# changed?

How much more do we know now?

How much,## as times change, as the culture changes,# to look behind the scenes at the sort of## great man theory, which is where# T.R.

has been shrouded, right?

EDWARD O'KEEFE: Absolutely.

When Edmund Morris and Da... their books in the late '70s, early '80s,## they did not have access to 24 love letters# between Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife,## Alice.

Those letters are all in# "The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt."

While I was doing the research, there was# a safe at Sagamore Hill that hadn't been## open since 1954.

Harvard called it the greatest# discovery of Theodore Roosevelt letters since his## death in 1919.

All 11 of those new letters# are in "The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt."

So, believe it or not, we're# learning more about history## the more time goes on and these# incredible women in T.R.

's life.

JEFFREY BROWN: You referred to his wife Edith# opening the door to the American century.

Now, that's a -- even -- that's a kind# of fraught phrase, a complicated phrase.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: Sure.

JEFFREY BROWN: What do you mean by it, and how has our conception of it# and T.R.

's rol.. EDWARD O'KEEFE: Well, I think that# history doesn't repeat; it rhymes.

And, of course, if you don't learn from# history, you're condemned to repeat it.## You think about T.R.

's time, right, there# was rapid technological change.

They're## flying in airplanes and driving in cars.# He was born at a time before electricity.## He's -- there's a change from an agrarian# to an industrial society and the economy.

There's a mass wave of immigration changing# the composition of the culture.

And there's## a debate about whether America# should be isolationist or whether## they should be a global power.# Does any of this sound familiar?

EDWARD O'KEEFE: It's exactly# what we're debating now.

And I think, when you look at the history,## you really can better understand the# present and hopefully make a better future.

JEFFREY BROWN: So, lastly, I want to# ask you about your other hat, which is,## as I mentioned in the introduction,# with the library foundation.

This is being built in your home state in North... JEFFREY BROWN: ... to take us back# to the beginning, North Dakota.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: Yes.

Well, Theodore R.. "I never would have been president# without my experiences i.. And that is why we are constructing the Theodore# Roosevelt Presidential Library in the Badlands## next to Theodore Roosevelt National Park,# the only park named for a person, let alone## a president.

And we are scheduled to open on# July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of America.

And it's really about tomorrow,# not yesterday.

It's about future## generations getting in the arena and making# a change that they want to see in the world.

JEFFREY BROWN: All right.

We will look for that,## and, in the meantime, "The# Loves of Theodore Roosevelt."

Edward O'Keefe, thank you very much.

EDWARD O'KEEFE: Great to be with you, Geoff.

AMNA NAWAZ: And, remember, there's a lot more# online, including a look at four key groups of## Joe Biden voters to watch six months out from the# presidential election.

That's at PBS.org/NewsHour.

And join us again back here tomorrow night, when# we report from the battleground state of Michigan## on Democrats' plan to keep abortion rights front# and center in their 2024 election campaign.

And that is the "NewsHour"# for tonight.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

On behalf of the entire "NewsHour"# team, thank you for joining us.