Fertilization. What is an embryo . Is it a person . Does it have potential for life . All of those things are still undecided. Major funding has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years, bnsf, the engine that connects us. The kendeda fund. Investments in transformative leaders and ideas. Carnegie corporation of new york , supporting innovations in democratic engagement and the advancement of International Peace and security. And with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station by viewers like you. Thank you. Welcome. 30,000 is the number of gazans the Health Ministry says has died. That a grim threshold was crossed after one of the deadliest single incidents of the war. More than 100 people reportedly killed trying desperately to get aid from trucks. The need is higher and the hunger is acute. More than half a Million People in gaza are one step away from famine. The white house today called the deaths in northern gaza tragic and alarming. President biden said it could complicate negotiations because the war and release israeli hostages. The following report includes images that are disturbing. Reporter they went to retrieve aid. They returned instead with the dead. The food they desperately wanted for their families is covered in blood. It happened at 4 00 a. M. As egyptian aid trucks arrived in gaza city. The sound of gunfire as people who had come to gather a began to flee aid began to flee. Residents walk away with bags of food surrounded by the injured. Israel released this footage of crowds and tanks. That is when gazans began fighting for food. That tanks that were there to secure the convoy cautiously tried to disperse the mob with a few warning shots. When the hundreds became thousands and things got out of hand, the tank commander decided to retreat. No idf strike was conducted toward the aid convoy. At this hospital where the injured were rushed, eyewitnesses blamed israel. We were surprised by the israeli tanks that came out and opened fire on people randomly and directly. This is my brother, who brought food for his children. If aid is to come to us in this way, we do not want it. We do not want to live on the blood of our children. But the aid is desperately needed. One in six children are acutely malnourished. Some do not make it. One said this baby died of hunger and dehydration. A helpless mother left to grieve. To a man with an empty stomach, food is god. Salvation comes from a plant that, like them, can survey the harshest conditions. A thorny, prickly taxes. Cactus. Today we are living in famine. There is nothing left to eat. We eat cactus, even with its thorns. In Southern Gaza, volunteers from the International HumanitarianOrganization Document childrens nutrition rates. There is an alarming truth. The u. N. Says famine in gaza is looming. Hunger is a major issue right now. The severe malnutrition of children is alarming. He volunteered in several clinics and hospitals in Southern Gaza last month. When we were there, there was no food. No chicken and no eggs and no milk. No fruits and vegetables. Food was very expensive. The average adult eats one meal a day. Israel says there are no restrictions on aid. They blame the limited flow of aid on the u. N. The u. S. Says israel targets hamas fighters that would be guarding the aid. Many gazans flocked to the beach after jordan airdropped aid into the sea. Officials are planning for the possibility of u. S. Airdropped. This is not happened because people are dying of lack of food and lack of medicine. This should not happen in the 21st century. For more on the humanitarian situation in gaza, we turn to the president of refugees international. Previously served in the Biden Administration on a covid task force. This incident in gaza city, Israeli Forces firing on a crowd of palestinians waiting for aid, it is not clear how many people were killed from gunfire or in the ensuing panic. What more can you tell us about what transpired and what contributed to it . One thing really notable here is the traditional humanitarian organizations seem not to have been involved at all. Certain u. N. Bodies pattern that are involved. This seems to be have been organized more by the israeli government. It was secured by israeli tanks. That is not typical. This suggests it is israel trying to find other ways to show that they are doing something without actually working with the humanitarian capacity that exists. The u. N. Says a quarter of gazas population is one step away from famine. Your team was just on the ground. What did they encounter . They heard Shocking Stories of the damage from the war. They talked to one man who is a pediatric surgeon at a European Hospital who told the story of his brother and nephew. His brother had a fiveyearold child with Cerebral Palsy who he did not want to evacuate. The child did not do well outside of the house. Their house was raided by the idf. Both parents were killed and the older brother had to drag the younger child overnight to the hospital. The fiveyearold had shrapnel in his face. He loses his eye. All of these stories of incredible deprivation and harm to civilians. As we saw with the report today, to all appearances, discriminant indiscriminate military action by the idf. The white house is considering air dropping aid into gaza. You could argue that is one solution but not the best solution. How do you get aid to 2. 5 Million People . Other other viable ways to get aid in and make sure it is delivered in a fair and logical way . I served previously in the obama administration. I coordinated drops like this. We only used them when we had no other option. They cost a lot of money. They are difficult to mount. They get very little volume in. We need to see the opening up of border crossings. Israel doing much more to facilitate humanitarian action. They have been actively blocking humanitarian groups from getting into northern gaza and restricting access to Southern Gaza. We are only resorting to air drops of these blockages. The other side of that is, how do you do that when the idf is fighting 20,000 hamas fighters who underground with hostages . Who are engaged in these highintensity combat . They are engaged in a pretty difficult, but operation. They has also conducted that in a extraordinarily indiscriminate way. The way they have conducted the war, the president has said it is indiscriminate and overthetop. If they had conducted this war differently, it would be a lot easier. For humanitarians to operate there. The way israel has conducted the war, it has been nearly impossible. Because they have not done it in line with international expectations. As we reported earlier, the gaza Health Ministry is reporting that 30,000 palestinians have been killed since the start of the offensive. That figure, even though it comes from the gaza Health Ministry, is widely viewed as the most reliable figure available. What does that say about the way israel is conducting the war . It underscores the indiscriminate nature of what they have done. To go five months, to have made is little progress they made in their own objectives, while incurring this amount of civilian damage, it is the definition of disproportionate and indiscriminate military action under international law. The u. S. Government has yet to take a firm stance on that. They will need to. The rafa offensive would overshadow anything that has happened in this work to date. Every offensive so far, people have been able to move out of the way. With rafah, there is nowhere left to go. This would be happening against a civilian population. Thank you so much for your time and your insights. Fire crews in texas fought to gain ground on the largest wildfire in the states history. It has already burned across a million acres in an area larger than the state of rhode island. In the texas panhandle, heaps of ash are all that is left of these families former lives. It was heartbreaking. It is our home. This fire claimed his house. He was away. His wife fled with what she could. A lot of sentimental things. Blankets, pictures, toys. Other than that, that is it. About all she could fit in the car. This is the largest fire in a cluster still blazing in the panhandle. By this morning, it had burned more than 1700 square miles and was just 3 contained. Earlier this week, unseasonably warm temperatures and high winds sent flames barreling across farmland and through towns, fueled by dry grass and vegetation. You have to go now. Hundreds were ordered to evacuate. Unpredictable convictions pushed walls of fire across highways, blocking an escape. And 83yearold woman was found dead in her burned row home. Scores of houses has been destroyed and tens of thousands of cattle could be lying dead in scorched fields. Satellite images show a town before and after a fire reduced it to ash. I know there are a lot of people still waiting to get in. She warned residents to brace themselves for the damage. The easiest way to put this is i dont think a lot of the folks who live in this area are probably going to be prepared for what theyre going to see as they go into town. Officials also predict the flames could pick up again this weekend. I did not want the community there to feel a false sense of security that all of these fires will not grow anymore. For now, cooler temperatures and lighter winds have opened up a crucial window for firefighters to tame the blazes. On tuesday, another fire burned close to the main Nuclear Weapons assembly plant. Former President Donald Trump today appealed a ruling that bars him from the illinois primary ballot. The judge found he incited insurrection. Mr. Trumps lawyer argued that staying the judgment until the illinois Appellate Courts finally decide this case would reduce the great risk of voter confusion. The u. S. Supreme court is already considering a similar case from colorado. Congress is moving to head off a partial Government Shutdown this weekend. The house passed a shortterm spending bill today and sent it to the senate. The measure funds one set of federal agency through march 8 and another group through march 22. In russia, Vladimir Putin has renewed his warning to the west that it could risk a nuclear war over ukraine. That comes after french president mcaron said sending nato troops to ukraine should not be ruled out. Putin responded today in moscow and his annual address to parliament, painting western leaders as reckless. We also have weapons that can be targets on their territory. What they are doing now try to scare the whole world, it risks a conflict with Nuclear Weapons. That means the destruction of civilization. Dont they understand this . The u. S. And other nato members have already said they would not send forces to ukraine. Back in this country, lloyd austin got grilled at a house hearing for letting the president and others go days without knowing he was hospitalized last month. He said there was no lapse in command structure while he was treated for complications from Prostate Cancer surgery. At the same time, he acknowledged that transparency is essential at all levels. If a Service Member was in the hospital, i think the chain of command would be concerned about why they were in the hospital. And make sure that they are doing the right thing to make take care of them and their family. Though you think it is their responsibility to notify the Commanding Officer . The answer is yes. In my case, i would expect that my organization would do the right things to notify senior leaders. If i am the patient in the hospital. A pentagon review has concluded there was no indication of ill intent or any attempt to cover up. The Biden Administration will investigate smart cars made in china that can gather data on drivers and track their locations. U. S. Officials warned they pose a risk to national security. The president said chinas policies could flood our market with vehicles. I will not that that happen on my watch. On wall street, stocks finish their fourth straight winning month. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained 47 points. The nasdaq rose 144 points to an alltime high. The s p 500 added 26 and also reached a record high. For the month, the dow gained 2 , the nasdaq 6 , and the s p 5 . Still to come, a palestinianamerican artist exhibit in indiana is canceled in response to the israelhamas war. A Community Parks advocate gives her briefest spectacular take on the power of nature. Plus much more. This is the pbs newshour from our studios in washington and in the west, from the Walter Cronkite school of journalism at Arizona State university. Today the president and former President Trump made visits to the southern border as immigration becomes a key issue ahead of the election. We have been reporting from brownsville, texas, on the trip. In his second visit to the texasmexico border, President Biden met with Border Patrol officials in brownsville, to determine the tables on his likely rival, donald trump. What i would say to him. Instead of telling members of congress to block this legislation, join me, or i will join you, and telling congress to pass this bipartisan security bill. We can do it together. We both know it is the toughest, most efficient, most effective Border Security bill this country has ever seen. 300 miles west along the rio grande in the town of eagle pass, trump attacked biden and again demonized migrants. The u. S. Is being overrun by the biden migrant crime. It is a new form of vicious violation to our country. Migrant crime. We call it the biden migrant crime. The showdown here at the border is defining the battle. A fight guaranteed wh republicans killed a bipartisan deal to stem the flow of migrants and funnel millions to Border Security. What do you hope the president s trip accomplishes . Hopefully when he meets with the Border Patrol agents, they give him an idea of what you can work from. Anytime you want something done on the front line, you need to talk to those on the frontline. He is the Vice President of the National Border control council, a Union Representing 80,000 asians nationwide 18,000 agents nationwide. The want the bill to still pass . That is the hope. Anything will help. I know there is the power of the pen. There is executive action he has done in the past with other issues. He has the power to put a stop to this today. Congress does have some fault in this. They have been kicking the can down the road for quite a few years. On both sides. If they are not going to do it, either we get somebody in there who will or the president needs to take action. With the senate deal all the dead, sources have told us that the president is considering using his executive authority to block some asylumseekers from entering the u. S. While stated federal authorities clash in eagle pass, here in brownsville advocates say exhibit. We often hear the border is chaotic. It is orderly. It is not chaos. She is the executive director of a group that helps welcome asylumseekers in brownsville. What would the impact be for migrants if the u. S. Were to put in place more severe asylum restriction . Seeking asylum is a right. We want to make sure that as a country, we are looking at solutions that allow them to seek asylum in a safe way and not putting them in danger. Despite the danger, some are still making the long journey with their children. She just arrived from cuba. It was difficult because we had to travel with coyotes and we had a small child. I cried a lot. It was terrifying. I am 22 years old. Nno how i did it. I was able to lease. It is something i dont know how i did it. But i accomplished it. We are here. That is the most important thing. Fleeing venezuela, she was robbed twice before arriving for her appointment with customs and border protection. I want a better life, a Better Future for my sons. I want to start a new life. Those migrants are arriving through the appointment see app that the president has urged them to use. Overall, crossings are low here right now in texas. Lets return to what we heard today from the former and current president. Donald trump had his criticisms. How did a square up with the facts you are reporting . I was told there were only six apprehensions and brownsville yesterday. Overall across taxes, other border towns might have slightly higher apprehensions. But i want to fact check one of the things the former said today. He was claiming there was a migrant crime wave occurring. The data just does not match up with that. A stanford study shows that immigrants are 60 less likely than nativeborn americans to be incarcerated. And in sanctuary cities each unit increased actually represents a 5 decrease in violent crime. President biden called on Senate Republicans to call past the bipartisan border deal. He said he might act alone with an executive order. Tell us more about that. It could come in a matter of weeks. What is being considered would severely restrict asylumseekers. It would narrow who can claim asylum. I was talking to immigration have gives today to have been in talks with the white house and they are trying to convince biden to essentially go a different route with an executive order. Declare an Emergency Declaration and send more resources to