Ticketmaster and its Parent Company live nation, accusing the companies of blocking competition in the Live Entertainment industry. And the u. S. Supreme Court Rejects a claim of racial gerrymandering in South Carolina, raising questions about future judgments on race and representation. These are complex cases because of the close link between race and political party. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by. Moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf. The engine that connects us. Carnegie corporation of new york, working to reduce Political Polarization through philanthropic support for education, democracy, and peace. More information at carnegie. Org. 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 from viewers like you. Thank you. Geoff welcome to the newshour. russian missiles struck kharkiv in ukraines east today, killing at least seven civilians. Ukraine is desperately trying to hold off a new russian offensive that threatens ukraines second largest city. And u. S. Officials tell the pbs newshour that the administration is debating whether to lift a restriction on the use of american weapons to target russian weapons in russia. Nick schifrin starts our coverage. Nick in the smoky aftermath of a russian missile, firefighters pick through the pieces of russias latest battlefield of choice, books, books turned to ash in what was one of ukraines largest printing houses. Russia has been bombarding kharkiv and trying to occupy towns further north, including vovchansk, to try and bring kharkiv city into artillery range and draw Ukrainian Forces away from fierce fighting in the donbass. In vovchansk, theres no cover from russian drones. The city center has been ripped apart by russian weapons parked right over the border inside russia. Newly arrived western ammunition has helped ukrainian troops hold the line. But they cant use u. S. Weapons to hit the russian weapons in russia that are hitting them. This week, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reuters wants that restriction lifted. We are negotiating with partners so that we can use their weapons against buildups of russian equipment on the border and even on their territory. So far, there is nothing positive. Nick the United Kingdom has provided longrange storm shadow missiles and so far the only public western endorsement of zelenskyys request. David cameron, British Foreign secretary it is their decision about how to use these weapons. We dont discuss any caveats that we put on, on those things. Nick ukraine also wants nato planes inside nato airspace to fire into western ukraine, so ukraine can transfer its own air defense assets east. When russian missiles are flying, polish planes are sent up, but they dont shoot down russian missiles . Can they do this . Im sure, yes. Nick senior u. S. Officials tell me, while the idea of using nato assets to shoot down russian missiles over ukraine is deemed too risky, there is a debate about whether to allow ukraine to use american weapons to target russian weapons just over the border inside russia. And the New York Times today reported secretary of state Antony Blinken has now endorsed that idea. So, should the u. S. Lift restrictions on where ukraine can fire american weapons . For that, we get two views. William taylor was u. S. Ambassador to ukraine during the george w. Bush administration. And emma ashford is a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and writes widely about u. S. Foreign policy. Thanks very much. Welcome, both of you, back to the newshour. ambassador taylor, let me start with you. Should the u. S. Allow ukraine to use american weapons against russian targets in russia, whether on the ground in russia or in the air above russia, not only on the border, but deeper inside russia . Nick, id say yes. If the russians are firing at ukrainians from a sanctuary, which is really what they have right now, then the ukrainians ought to be able to shoot back. This is basic selfdefense. And some of the russian fire is coming from close by, close across the border in that sanctuary, but some is coming from airfields. So there are russian jets that are taking off from airfields and that are launching these glide bombs that are going into kharkiv, as you just described. So, yes, i think the ukrainians ought to be able to shoot back. Nick emma ashford, do you think the ukrainians should be able to shoot back, again, with u. S. Weapons . Emma ashford, Stimson Center i think that we need to be drawing a distinction here. I think, when it comes to kharkiv and the question of a conventional conflict that is being fought effectively across the border, that is one thing. And i think thats something that the United States might want to look at lifting some of those restrictions. Where i have substantially more concerns, however, is on this longrange strike capability. Ukraine has been using other nonamerican weapons to engage in a campaign of striking russian refineries, factories, et cetera. And i worry, and i think the white house is very worried, that allowing ukraine to use u. S. Weapons to do that would be very escalatory. Nick so, bill taylor, that distinction, you guys both agree that perhaps u. S. Weapons should be used against, for example, Russian Artillery parked right on the border that are attacking vovchansk. But the concern, as emma ashford puts it, that it could escalate if you allow the strikes to go further, whats your response to that . William so, i think the russians have escalated in conventional terms as much as they can. I mean, theres nothing theyre not holding back. Theyre using everything they have got. Theyre not using nuclear weapons, and they probably wont. Probably wont. There are all kinds of reasons why they wouldnt. But they theres no room now for escalation. And emmas right. The ukrainians are shooting deep with their own drones. Those drones are not strong. They are not heavy. They cant do real damage to airfields. If theyre very good and very precise, they can do some damage to an airplane. But these weapons and emmas also right. The brits have already allowed them to use these storm shadows. And nothing happened. I think we should let them do that. Nick what about that point, emma ashford, that the brits changed the red line, so to speak, and nothing happened, russians didnt respond, and that russia is at the kind of p of its ability to escalate . Emma so whether or not we agree that it should be the case, i think the russians very much do see a difference between the United States doing something and European Countries doing something. When it comes to the idea that the russians cannot escalate any further, im much more skeptical on that. We talk a lot about the nuclear question, but thats not really the concern here. Were talking about potential sabotage that were starting to see in western european states. There was a fire in poland just this week that was attributed potentially to russian agents. Were talking about potential escalation to a broader russiannato war, something that comes across the border. So i think we are telling ourselves very convenient untruths when we say that the russians dont have any means to escalate against us. Nick bill taylor, can russia escalate against nato directly, whether conventionally or, as emma ashford points out, in the hybrid ways that they have done for years . William deterrence works, nick. Deterrence has worked. The russians mr. Putin is not suicidal. He knows that, if he attacks nato, he loses. He loses quickly and devastatingly. Thats deterrence. That deterrence is there. Its also deterrence when Jake Sullivan made itery clear more than a year ago that, if the russians thought about using Tactical Nuclear weapons in ukraine, there would be catastrophic consequences. Those words were well thought out. That was not a throwaway line from Jake Sullivan, catastrophic consequences. Thats deterrence, and i think it works. Nick and xi jinping, in fact, actually threatened putin about nuclear weapons. But, emma ashford, bottom line, do you think russia is deterred . Emma i think russia is deterred from direct attacks on nato territory, but i do think were seeing an increasing willingness to escalate kind of under that level of conventional conflict. And i do just want to note that i think we need to put this question of longrange strikes in the context of the other steps that the u. S. And western allies have taken, increasing the number of Weapons Systems that have been sent, increasing the ways in which ukraine can fight back against russia, and then talking about things like u. S. Advisers in the conflict or western troops behind the lines. These are things that sort of move forward in a consistent upward cycle of escalation, and, at some point, it is entirely possible that we could cross some russian red lines. So we do have to be very cautious, and i credit the white house for being cautious on this. Nick i want to zoom out in about the minuteandahalf that i have left. So, you each have about 45 seconds to answer this question. How does this war, do you believe, end . William it depends on us. It depends on us. As emma just said, if we can provide a lot of weapons to the ukrainians so that they can push, they can stabilize the line right now, and then eventually next year, probably, they can push them back. If its clear that the ukrainians are not going to stop fighting, which it is, and if its clear the europeans will continue to support the ukrainians, which they are so far, and we have just demonstrated that were going to supply them with 61 billion and more, presumably, after that, if that is clear to president putin that he cannot win, thats how it ends. Nick emma ashford, 45 seconds . Emma im not sure that he nick and can putin be convinced that he cant win . And, therefore, should the west get to the point where ukraine can win . Emma i am not convinced that this is sustainable for five or seven years or whatever longterm were talking about, but i do believe that the ukrainians with the western help thats already committed can deny the russians additional gains and convince putin that he cannot achieve anything else on the battlefield, and that is the point at which you start looking for a negotiated settlement. So thats how i think we finally do start to move towards a settlement in this conflict. Nick emma ashford, ambassador bill taylor, thank you very much to you both. William thank you, nick. Benefic here are the latest headlines. President biden plans to designate kenya as a major nonnato ally. Mr. Biden made the announcement as he hosted kenyan president william ruto at the white house today. Its the First Official state visit to the u. S. By an african leader in more than 15 years. President biden also thanked ruto for deploying kenyan forces to combat the violence in haiti, and he defended his decision to withhold u. S. Troops. Pres. Biden haiti is in a area of the caribbean that is very volatile. Theres a lot going on in this hemisphere, and were in a situation where we want to do all we can without us looking like america once again is stepping over and deciding this is what must be done. Vanessa President Biden also addressed the decision this week by the International Criminal court to seek arrest warrants for israels Prime Minister and defense minister, as well as three hamas leaders. Two Senate Committees have launched an investigation into Donald Trumps reported offer to roll back President Bidens Environmental Policies in exchange for 1 billion in campaign donations. The New York Times reported that mr. Trump made the proposition at a meeting with top u. S. Oil executives last month. The House Oversight committee is also seeking information related to the april 11 fundraiser. Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill today that would reclassify two abortioninducing medications as controlled and dangerous substances. The measure would impose fines and even jail time for those in possession of the drugs without a prescription. Doctors say the bill could make it harder to prescribe the pills, which have other Critical Health care uses. It now goes to louisianas republican governor for final approval. He has previously expressed support for it. Hello signed today by californias democratic governor gavin newsom which allows is meant to circumvent arizonas ban on nearly all abortions. That law passed in 1864 has since been repealed, but wont be reversed until later this year. In the meantime, californias stopgap measure will stand till the end of november. In northern mexico, nine people are dead and more than 100 others injured after a stage collapsed on a crowd during a Campaign Rally in heavy winds. Cell phone videos showed the twisted pile of large metal pillars, which had trapped attendees underneath. The longshot president ial candidate who hosted the event, Jorge Alvarez maynez, had to run for cover. It was a very atypical event, because, normally, the weather gives some warning as it intensifies. What we experienced happened in just a few seconds. A gale came, a sudden wind, and, unfortunately, it collapsed the stage, resulting in a fatal accident. Manasseh vanessa one child is among those killed. An official investigation is now u. S. Weather officials are predicting that this years atlantic Hurricane Season will be extraordinary. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects up to 25 named storms, the most they have ever forecast in may. The agency says contributing factors include record height Water Surface temperatures that fuel storms and expected la nina weather pattern this year, which reduces highaltitude winds that can break up hurricanes. The ncaa and the five power conferences have agreed to pay players directly. The ncaa will pay nearly 2. 8 billion to both current and past athletes to settle multiple antitrust cases. The deal must still be approved by federal judge. And the Womens NationalBasketball Association is going international. The league announced today that it will expand to toronto, its First Franchise outside of the u. S. The wnbas commissioner said of the expansion team, which has not yet been named, is set to begin playing in 2026. Still to come, Congress GrillsUniversity Leaders over there handlings of campus protest against the war in gaza. Massive, invasive goldfish threatened the great lakes fragile ecosystem. And a new documentary explores the history and Cultural Impact of twitter. This is the pbs newshour from weta studios in washington, and in the west, from the Walter Cronkite school of journalism at Arizona State university. Geoff the department of justice want the courts to break up live nation, the Parent Company of ticketmaster and the biggest concert promoter in the u. S. It has long face intense scrutiny over prices for concerts by major artists. One of the most notable cases recently, tickets for taylor swifts eras tour, when ticketmasters web site crashed during a presale and led to a widespread outcry. The company blamed high demand. But swifties suspected foul play, as tickets quickly vanished, only to reappear on resale sites at much higher prices. U. S. Attorney general Merrick Garland laid out his case today. Merrick garland, u. S. Attorney general our complaint makes clear what happens when a monopolist dedicates its resources to entrenching its monopoly power and insulating itself from competition, rather than investing in better products and services. We allege that live nation has illegally monopolized markets across the live concert industry in the United States for far too long. It is time to break it up. Geoff more than two dozen states and the district of columbia have joined the lawsuit. And that includes california. Rob bonta is the states attorney general, and he joins us now. Welcome to the newshour. thanks for having me, geoff. Geoff so, as we mentioned, you are one of dozens of state attorneys general supporting this lawsuit. Why . Rob bonta because its important for us as a regulator to make sure that we have a free, fair, lawful marketplace with competition, where monopolistic behavior, anticompetitive behavior doesnt distort the market and manipulate the market and bend the market to its will. Live nation can be a very Successful Company and follow the law. Right now, theyre not doing that. Their conduct is illegal and unlawful and theyre not allowed to do it. So, in the interest of supporting a free and fair marketplace, making sure that consumers have a better experience with Higher Quality and lower prices, making sure that artists are able to choose the promoter that they want, instead of being forced to choose live nation, making sure that concert venues are able to pick the ticketing vendor that they want, and not be