GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "NewsHour."

Houston and other parts of the Gulf Coast are dealing with the aftermath of intense storms that have been hammering the region.

At least four people were killed in Houston after hurricane-force winds tore through the city.

And more than 700,000 customers remain without power in Texas and Louisiana as utility crews work to address it.

Ali Rogan has our report.

ALI ROGIN: Today, the Houston area is littered with debris.

Downtown is at a standstill and the city's school district was closed after an evening of deadly storms.

JOHN WHITMIRE (D), Mayor of Houston, Texas: It was fierce, it was intense, it was quick, and most Houstonians didn't have time to place themselves out of harm's way.

ALI ROGIN: It all began late yesterday, when ominous clouds rolled into the region.

TERESA HARRIS, Downtown Houston Worker: I realized it was pretty bad when it got black.

I mean, it really got dark.

ALI ROGIN: Soon, torrential rain and fierce winds lashed the area.

Officials say gusts in some places reached 100 miles per hour.

There were even reports of potential tornadoes.

MAN: That's electricity again.

ALI ROGIN: The storm easily knocked out electricity.

Eyewitness video caught the moment the lights went out as hundreds of customers took shelter in a Costco.

Emergency officials called the damage to transmission lines catastrophic and said it could take weeks to restore power in some places.

In downtown Houston, the storms shattered windows and high-rises, leaving the streets below litter with glass.

At a briefing today, state Representative Jolanda Jones warned people to keep out.

STATE REP. JOLANDA JONES (D-TX): You need to stay away from downtown.

I literally just came from there.

There's glass everywhere.

ALI ROGIN: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the storms were unexpected and historic.

JUDGE LINA HIDALGO, Harris County, Texas: Last night, we were expecting some rain.

The meteorologists were in touch with us.

We knew something was coming.

But, instead, we saw winds of 80 to 100 miles an hour.

This kind of wind is something we have not seen in Harris County since Hurricane Alicia in 1983.

ALI ROGIN: In Louisiana, similar scenes overnight of heavy rain, flooding and a suspected tornado.

And it didn't end last night.

The National Weather Service kept flood watches and warnings in effect today for large swathes of the southeast, all further complicating efforts to clean up and rebuild.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Ali Rogin.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the day's other news: The Israeli military says its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three hostages all killed by Hamas as they tried to flee the Nova Music Festival on October 7.

They were identified as 22-year-old Shani Louk, 28-year-old Amit Buskila, and 56-year-old Yitzhak Gelernter.

Meantime, the first shipments of aid arrived on Gaza's shoreline via a floating pier made by the U.S. military.

Trucks lined up nearby ready to load.

In Washington this afternoon, White House officials said distribution would be swift.

JOHN KIRBY, NSC Coordinator For Strategic Communications: The U.N. has now taken possession of these first pallets and are getting them ready for distribution inside Gaza.

So, look, I mean, hopefully by the time we're done here, I mean, some of that stuff will actually be in the mouths of some hungry people, but we will see.

GEOFF BENNETT: Separately, Israel argued before the U.N.'s top court at The Hague today that its military is doing everything it can to protect the civilian population in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice wrapped up a third round of hearings on emergency measures requested by South Africa, which has accused Israel of genocide.

It has been a surreal day at the PGA Championship in Kentucky after the world's top ranked golfer was arrested while trying to drive around a traffic stop outside the Valhalla Golf Club.

Police say Scottie Scheffler ignored instructions and dragged an officer with his car.

Scheffler was booked for assaulting a police officer and other charges.

The Masters champion was handcuffed and put into a police car.

In a statement, Scheffler said it was a misunderstanding.

He was released and back at the course for his tee time.

The man who attacked former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer was sentenced today to 30 years in prison.

David DePape was found guilty last November of attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting an official's family member.

The 44-year-old admitted to breaking into the speaker's home with the goal of taking her hostage.

The U.S. State Department issued a worldwide caution security alert today addressing threats to the LGBTQ community.

In its statement, the department said it's aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against LGBTQI-plus persons in events and advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution.

The alert comes two weeks before the start of Pride Month here in the U.S. Russia has carried out multiple strikes on Ukrainian territory today.

At least one person was killed and eight others injured in an attack near the Black Sea port of Odesa.

Five others were hospitalized.

Separately, the mayor of Kharkiv says that Russian bombs killed at least three people and injured 28 others.

Ukraine's second largest city has come under increasing attack in recent months.

Wrapping up a two-day summit in China, President Vladimir Putin said Russia won't invade Kharkiv, but instead aims to use it as a buffer zone.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President (through translator): As for what is happening in the Kharkiv direction, this is also their fault, because they shoot residential areas of the border territories, including Belgorod.

I said publicly that, if this continues, we will be forced to create a safety zone, a sanitary zone.

GEOFF BENNETT: In response to Russia's latest military advances, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bill to allow prisoners to enlist in the military in exchange for parole.

He also raised fines for draft dodgers.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another surgery two days after he was shot multiple times following a government meeting.

He remains in very serious condition.

A suspect has been charged with attempted murder.

Earlier today, investigators removed a computer and other evidence from the suspect's home in Eastern Slovakia.

Police escorted the 71-year-old there for the search before loading him back into a police car.

Employees at two Mercedes facilities in Alabama have voted against joining the United Auto Workers.

In the final tally, 56 percent of workers were opposed to the union.

The result is a setback to the UAW's efforts to organize 150,000 workers at more than a dozen nonunion auto factories, mostly in the South.

It also comes a month after workers at a Volkswagen factory in Tennessee voted in favor of joining.

On Wall Street today, the Dow closed above 40000 for the first time ever.

The index added 134 points for a new high of 40003.

We will talk about that a bit more in a few minutes.

The Nasdaq slipped 12 points after hitting records of its own this week.

The S&P 500 added six points.

And Brazil will host the 2027 Women's World Cup, becoming the first South American country to stage that tournament.

The announcement was made today at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.

Brazil beat out a joint bid of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": a national security expert makes the case that we're in a second Cold War, this time with China; Jonathan Capehart and Eliana Johnson weigh in on the week's political headlines; and a college course examines the depiction of alcohol and drunkenness on film.