GEOFF BENNETT: Good evening.

I'm Geoff Bennett.

AMNA NAWAZ: And Amna Nawaz in Tel Av On the "NewsHour" tonight: Hospitals in Gaza are over Israel vows not to allow in aid until Hamas releases its hostages.

We hear from civilians caught in the crossfire.

GEOFF BENNETT: Republican infighting in Washington complicates th House speaker.

What front-runner St And Judy Woodruff visits college campuses that are increasingly becoming the focus of debates over free speech.

REBECCA SPARACIO, The Cornell yo u're out in the real world, I think you hear people discussing things that are not for the good of society.

And you have (BREAK) GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "NewsHour."

It is the sixth day of war, the coastal region under extraordinary bombardment by Israeli jets and artillery and the siege tightening.

AMNA NAWAZ: Here on the ground, nearly 3,000 people have already died in less than a week of brutal violence.

In Israel, more than 1 That includes 27 Americans.

The U.S. government now says it will begin operating any of the more than 100,000 Americans currently here.

And, so far, 1,500 Palestinians have been killed.

That includes 45 members of the same extended family all killed in an airstrike on their Gaza home tonight, according to officials there.

We begin tonight in Gaza with our colleague Leila Molana-Allen repor LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: In the heavily bombarded Gaza Strip, a frantic effort to find survivors.

Gazans desperately search mounds of rubble for signs of life with their bare hands.

This is the densely populated Al-Shati refugee camp, hit by one of Israel's latest acts of retribution.

MAN (through translator): You can see the destruction.

We have martyrs under the rubble.

We pose no danger.

There were children there.

What did the children do to LE ILA MOLANA-ALLEN: In the nearby Al-Shifa Th e procession of stretchers is never-ending.

Inside, the hallways crammed with the injured, them, the bloodied bodies of Khadija Soulieh's children.

They were having breakfast when their house was bombed.

KHADIJA SOULIEH, Gaza Resident There was nothing left of it.

All of us were injured, my husband, kids.

We have nothing to do with any of this.

We have nothing at all.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Hospital dire has enough beds for the overwhelming number of patients.

DR. MUHAMMAD ABU SALIMA, Director, Al-Shifa Hospital (through translator): Th to accommodate this large number of injuries.

The Gaza Strip has never seen such numbers under any the da Families have been exterminated.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: For the fami as they mourn in constant fear.

Humanitarian groups say, with the city under sieg Amid such carnage, Secretary of State Antony Blinken touched down in Israel this morning.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. Secretary of State: Good to see you.

Sorry it's under these LE ILA MOLANA-ALLEN: warning to Hamas.

BENJAMIN NET And just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Blinken doubled down on U.S. support.

But as Israeli forces intensify their military campaign, he delivered ANTONY BLINKEN: It's so important to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Horrifying new evidence of Hamas' campaign of terror continues to surface.

This kibbutz was reduced to ashes.

Video appears to show bullet holes splintering th Secretary Blinken described images of victims he saw.

ANTONY BLINKEN: A baby, an infant, riddled with bullets, soldiers behead burned alive.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN has spread far from Gaza and the surrounding area.

This morning, Syrian media reported Israel struck international airports in Damascu and Aleppo.

On the border with Lebanon, Isra fire.

We're headin tense here, because Hezbollah dominates the territory just across the border.

In the last few days, there's been a lot of rocket fire back and forth across And, last night, there was a false alarm where, for a few minutes, everyone thought the wa that they'd feared for years had finally started.

In the town of Shomera, just three miles from the border, Smadar and Momi Amsalem were prepa dinner when the alarm sounded.

SMADAR AMSALEM, Shomera, Is and they told us to go to the shelters and not to leave them.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: As the barrages increase and the likelihood of the Israel Defense Forces have advised everyone in this area to leave.

Swathes of residents have headed south to comparatively safer areas.

Aside from sporadic rocket fire, Hezbollah has thus far stayed its hand.

It says its red line to attack Israel would be a ground invasion of Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu says that invasion is Israel's only option.

SMADAR AMSALEM (through translator): Yes, there are people who are worrie They have little kids and babies, so they evacuated themselves.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Samdar's was visiting from Los Angeles with his weekend's terror attacks unfolded.

The family fled home as soon as they could get on a pla But Momi and Smadar have lived through war after war in their 60 years Mo mi has worked through every one, delivering the eggs the area is famous for.

MOMI AMSALEM, Shomera, Israel, Resident (through translator): my job is vital.

I need to supply the eggs because people need to eat.

Even under fire, you have to continue your work.

SMADAR AMSALEM (through translator): We didn't leave and we're not going to Th is is our country, and we're not afraid of Hezbollah or anyone else.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: But not everyone is so sure.

The closer you get to the border, the emptier the streets.

Here in Shlomi, 18-year-old Nehorai Zeno narrowly escaped death when a Hezbollah rocket hit his father's hair salon two days ago.

He spends most days there hanging out with friends and helping his fa Now the family's livelihood is gone.

NEHORAI ZENO, Shlomi, Israel, Resident could have been here.

It could hav LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Today, the His mother, shaking with fear and too traumatized to appear on camera, told us trusts the Israeli army or her government to keep her safe.

She's desperate to leave as soon as possible and get her children to safety.

NEHORAI ZENO (through translator): Most of my friends have left.

Some have stayed, and some are really scared.

Overall, I'm OK.

But my little brot LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Across the north, the same question, to stay or to go.

And with the whole country descending into violence, where to go, meanwhile, coming in the opposite direction are the tens of thousands of army reservists who've been deployed to Northern Israel in recent days.

As hostilities on the northern border intensify, Here in the village of Zar'it just a quarter of a mile from the Lebanese border,it's completely evacuated, the only people around IDF soldiers who've been sent up here to defend it.

Joining soldiers are the few residents staunchly determined to stay and fight and the local militias made up of townspeople who have fought these border battles for years.

From their outposts, they have watched in recent days as incoming fire killed and wounded both Israelis and Arab Israelis living here and the IDF's retaliation.

With such an unprecedented number of soldiers deployed, locals here say the IDF is struggling to get them enough supplies.

So, Israeli civilians have stepped in.

At this restaurant just south of Shlomi, the owners a of hot meals to distribute to soldiers for the past three days.

SANDRINE HAZAN, Restaurant Owner (through translator): There are so many Th ey're wary.

They don't want So they're here to protect us.

So we just want to give them a st rength.

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Similar scenes of unity and preparation are playing out across the country, Israelis readying themselves for what they believe will be a brutal, but necessary battle.

AMNA NAWAZ: And joining me here live in Tel Aviv is Leila Molana-Allen.

Leila, fantastic reporting, as always.

Good to see you.

LEILA MOLANA AMNA NAWAZ: You have seen how quickly tensions there can flare.

What did it feel like when you spent the day there today?

LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: It was extremely The streets are sort of echoey, they're so empt They're leaving in their droves.

You see people sort of walki fast as they can, and then some people wandering around wondering whether or not be cause, of course, the IDF has suggested that they leave.

But they have not said that they have to do.

That is their choice.

And a lot of that's where they should be living and they want to stay and fight.

And fight is what they're going to do.

So all these IDF soldiers have Bu t as well as that, you have these local militias I was talking a Now, they are so concerned about being targeted, that there was no ch on camera.

They work di And you can see the sights of the people day.

And they wer trying to come over the walls there.

They have been attacking.

They sit the And it's such a diff battles, as I said, there for years.

They're really used to this figh And then these young IDF ev en from studying abroad, they're technicians in companies.

They might be young corporate lawyers.

I met people with all sorts of An d they have suddenly been sent up to this active war zone.

So there's a very interesting relationship going And they're sort of wandering around, these young soldiers, ready fo not quite sure what.

Now they're getting a hu them on, who are saying, you're here to fight for us.

But it is a very tense situation.

You can see all these people stre start.

And, of cour And this is where this decision comes in of what these people going to stay, whether they're going to go.

I met one woman who was I had to hold her while she was speaking.

And she was saying: "My babies.

I don't know what to d She didn't have a car.

She was asking us of what was coming.

And she was absolute People really are feeling like the entire country is And we have now had another escalation, which is that Human Rights Watch have just that they're reporting says that white phosphorus was used by Israeli forces in both Gaza and on the Lebanese border in the last few days.

Now, white phosphorus is a substance It can disperse into the air.

Hundreds of pellets from each of these dispersal And if it hits you in the skin, it will burn you down to the bone.

It can burn your lungs out.

Just 10 percent of b And if it doesn't, the lifelong injuries are horrif burn down entire communities.

So, if this is the case, that's a major escalati for people on both sides of the border in terms of how angry that kind of weaponry being used could make people.

AMNA NAWAZ: Leila, y effects well beyond these borders.

You mentioned, of course, Syrian o their main airports today.

What should we understand ab LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Well, because the explanation could be that it was a retaliation for any number o in from Syria or Lebanon.

But the Iranian foreign minister Syria tomorrow and then to Lebanon afterwards.

And there's suspicion that this might have been an atte of war.

People think that massive attack that happened, but, of course, everyone suspects was funded by the Iranian government.

So, potentia the same time, so that he couldn't arrive and that meeting wouldn't AMNA NAWAZ: Leila Molana-Allen reporting for us tonight.

Leila, thank you so much -- Geoff, back to you.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Amna, our thanks to you and Leila More than two million people live in Gaza.

It's one of the most densely populated corn And in the six days since Hamas' terror attacks, Israel says it has dropped Ga za.

The U.N. say homes.

Nick Schifri no escape.

NICK SCHIFRI But what was once a sanctuary is now shattered.

These are the voices of the Odeh family, mother Diana, baby Rose, who at 1-year-old shields her ears from bombings, big brother Kareem, 4, and father Ahmed.

They sent us video of the room where their children used to sleep and the view from the window.

That pile of debris was once an Israel has cut off the power, limiting conductivity.

We spoke by phone.

DIANA ODEH, Gaza City They are going to bomb a tower beside us.

We are very scared.

This is the sound of my daughter.

I'm feeling very bad.

My emotions, I can't describe it.

I think we get used to these sounds.

We get used to hear it all the time.

I'm about to cry.

I can't handle this anymore.

The night has still began now.

As you can hear, as you can hear, there is no distance between them, only 10 seconds.

NICK SCHIFRIN: They move to different homes every day.

But when ambulances, when U.N.-schools-turned-shelters aren't safe, there's nowhere to hide.

DIANA ODEH: No place in Gaza is now safe.

People are r They bomb UN They bomb th They say the The most peopl We are hoping and praying for Al That's our only solu When a bomb We all go to the same ro We all get to the ground, st orm, that's not a bomb.

My daughter gets awake every night, screaming an This is our terrible situations.

NICK SCHIFRIN: We tried to speak on video.

She had to use a flashlight.

DIANA ODEH: Things here They are bombing all the time.

There is no electricity, no water, n NICK SCHIFRIN: Our connection kept freezing.

DIANA ODEH: The sound -- even the sound of the (INAUD the sound of airstrike.

We need help We don't nee We don't nee People are g NICK SCHIFRIN: Sometimes, the only light is from airstrikes, as Gazan Mosab Abu Toha MOSAB ABU TOHA, Poet: Shrapnel looking for laughter.

The house has been bombed.

Everyone's dead, the kids, the parents, the toys.

I care about human lives everywhere, here and outside of Gaza and the West Bank.

I mean, I love all people.

But some people do not want us to exist.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Toha was born in a Gaza refugee He has three children, two boys who love the beach and a daughter wearing clothe a happier time.

Today, his extended They and every family here have survived half-a-dozen wars.

MOSAB ABU TOHA: The kids, this is -- in fact, this is not their first time hitting the bombs and seeing the smoke after each explosion, and also the light, the scary light of each explosion, especially at night.

This is not But they are always keep -- keeping asking me when this will stop.

I mean, it's very, very worrying that these kids do not ask me who is doing this.

They don't ask who.

They just know that this is NICK SCHIFRIN: Toha's poetry tells of the human cost of war.

Today, he's losing hope.

MOSAB ABU TOHA: Just yesterd of mine was killed during an Israeli airstrike on a mosque that's adjacent to her house.

It's about humanity.

They are dep They are dealing with us, they are killing us as if we were just a heap They don't distinguish between a tree or a house or a bookshop or a donkey or a cat.

We are just -- we just don't exist to them as human beings.

NICK SCHIFRIN: It is those human beings suffering the scars of war whom Gazan photojournalis Majdi Fathi has been documenting.

MAJDI FATHI, Gazan Photojournalist (t is completely empty of any residents.

There's no one.

NICK SCHIFRI MAJDI FATHI (through translator): Twenty minutes before this voice message, Israel bombed a residential building and media offices in the middle of Gaza City, near Shifaa Hospital.

NICK SCHIFRIN: His photographs tell the grim story of war, and war spares no one, families, the elderly, the youngest, and Diana's hope for the future.

DIANA ODEH: We all sleep in the same area.

Even when we want to go to the bathroom, we go together, because if we die, we die all together.

NICK SCHIFRI For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Nick Schifrin.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the day's other headlines: The White House denounced former President Donald Trump's criticism of top Israeli officials for failing to anticipate the Hamas attack.

At a rally in Florida last night, Mr. Trump attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called his defense minister a -- quote -- "jerk."

The White House national security spokesman, John Kirby, responded JOHN KIRBY, NSC Coordinator For Strategic Communications: We take seriously relationship with Israel.

We don't get to decide, obviously, who their Cabinet offi That wouldn't be our business.

But we have strong relati And it's important now that those rela particularly in this time of crisis.

And so we're focused on ge That's where our heads are.

GEOFF BENNET backed by Iran, has been very smart.

A White House spokesman called that comment unhinged and Federal prosecutors leveled a new charge today against Senator Bob Menendez.

The revised indictment alleges the New Jersey Democrat conspired to act as a foreign agent of Egypt while chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez and his wife have denied taking bribes to influence U.S. policy.

The Labor Department's latest look at inflation is out, and it's a mixed picture.

Consumer prices climbed four-tenths of a percent in September from a month earlier driven in part by housing costs.

But that hike was less than the increase o The core inflation rate, not counting food and fuel, rose 4.1 percent from a year ago.

That's the smallest increase in two years.

The Social Security Administration has announced that, will increase by 3.2 percent next year.

That's much less than this year's increase of nearly 9 percent.

Starting in January, benefit checks will go up by more than $50 a month on average.

Contract talks between Hollywood studios and actors may be back to square one.

The studios broke off negotiations last night, saying the gap between the two sides is just too great.

The actors s They're demanding better pay for work on streaming by artificial intelligence.

On Wall Street, stocks fell back as inte The Dow Jones industrial average lost 173 points to close at 33631.

The Nasdaq fell 85 points.

The S&P 500 slipped 27.

And someone in Central California has won the world's second l ever, more than $1.7 billion.

The winning ticket in last night's drawing was sold at Midway Market That's near Bakersfield.

The son of the store's CHRIS KHALIL, Store Co-Owner's Son: I had just gone to the gym.

And he calls me freaking out: "Your store hit.

Your store hit.

Your store h And I just couldn' I'm like: "There's a couple of stores called Like, I don't know if it's us."

He's like: "No."

He gave me t I'm like, oh, damn So I hung up.

I called eve GEOFF BENNETT: The store So far, the winner of the jackpot has not come forward.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wei election of a new House speaker; and the political debate over what constitutes free speech zeros in on college campuses.

House Republicans and Congressman Steve Scalise today may have slipped further away, not closer, from having the votes to fill the job of speaker of the House.

The chamber remains frozen and Republicans deeply divided over who should Our Lisa Desjardins Dan spoke to dozens of members and joins us now.

So, Lisa, your reporting is that Scalise may have lost support, lost Te ll us about it.

LISA DESJARD Now it is extraordinary, G Somehow, this ship without a captain Steve Scalise spent two-and-a-half-hours speaking to House Republicans today.

But when they exited, Republicans were less sure, many of them, about his leadership Now, as for Scalise, he did speak to the press and he said he is undaunted.

REP. STEVE SCALIS And that's going on and we're going to continue the meetings.

There's some other members that want to meet as a gro We have been -- if you look at the model where we have gotten big thing LISA DESJARDINS: Now, that idea of consensus is still eluding him.

And let's talk about some specifics here.

Scalise can only lose four Republ These are the people, 14 of them, who now publicly oppose him.

And in addition to that, Geoff, how about this?

I want to replay sound from the story we ran yesterday.

This is Keith Self of Texas.

Here's what he told me yesterday.

REP. KEITH SELF ( Scalise is our nominee, and I will vote for Steve Scalise on the floor.

LISA DESJARDINS: After today's meeting, Geoff, Self said he is no longer going to sup Steve Scalise.

That kind of switch is a and indeed the House of Representatives itself.

We're waiting to see if Republicans meet tonight.

We do not know when or if they will h GEOFF BENNETT: So, Lisa, what apparently happened in this meeting?

Help us with the dynamics here.

How is Steve Scali LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

There is some concern abou As we have reported, he is dealing with myeloma, bl But I don't really think that's a core concern here.

I want to talk about two things that have ha First, we know that in that meeting yesterday, Scalise an to change the rules over how the speaker vote would go.

Now, those who pushed that rule say that the way he blocked it wi a chance for real debate reminded them of the past and the way leadership forced things through, got their way without consulting members.

That rubbed a lot of members the wrong way.

The other thing was today, his speech itsel I spoke to members who have known him a long time, have said, I have been with him.

I have seen him really to have a starring role, but today he felt flat, that his a voice to the conference was not one of leadership.

He didn't have a plan for what to do next.

And that made a lot of people nervous about An d I think the other issue here, Geoff, honestly, is that some conservative ra hosts are telling Republican voters to call members and to say don't vote for Scalise.

And those phones are in fact ringing off the hook, so much so now there's a talk of a plan C, maybe not Scalise, maybe not Jordan, maybe someone else.

Usually, I wouldn't report that because it seems so out of the norm, but it moment real talk.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, I w I mean, this is very much If not Steve Scalise, if not Jim Jordan, then who?

Who else is waiting in the wings?

And who potentially could get LISA DESJARDINS: That's right.

I just can't stress enough what a st There are names being mentioned like Tom Emmer, who is in leadership now, very well-liked.

But, in general, it seems what's happening with those who oppose Steve Scalise, the growing group, they really want a different kind of leadership, someone who hasn't been in leadership before.

And I will tell you, You listen to how people are reacting to this time, how they'r worried about the stakes.

There are some who don Essentially, Republicans are a little bit RE P. ANDY OGLES ( Like I said, it's painful and laborious at ti frankly, with Jim Jordan right now.

I love Steve Scalise, but, the votes aren't there for Steve.

REP. MARJORIE TAY It's a waste of time REP.

TROY NEHLS ( I think it's got to put our party and our country above our own self-interest at times.

REP. MICHAEL MCCA Our adversar And Chairman Xi talks about how democracy doesn't work.

And we're proving him right.

And we need to fill the chair.

LISA DESJARDINS: And talking about the Ch is not just internal divisions right here with the Republican Party, though, of course, that's in bold display.

This is something about U.S. gove The speaker is the second in line And, really, we don't know when Republicans are going to be speaker for the House of Representatives.

GEOFF BENNETT: Lisa Desjardins LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.

GEOFF BENNETT: For more on how fo r Israel and Ukraine and who Democrats would like to see holding the gavel, we're joined by House minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

Leader Jeffries, welcome back to the "NewsHour."

REP. HAKEEM JEFFR Great to be GEOFF BENNET The U.S. has sent munitions, aircraft carriers, fighter jets to aid Israel at tacks.

What additional U.S. Re publicans and the resulting absence to have a House speaker?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFR to stand strongly and unequivocally behind Israel, Israel's right to defend itsel Israel is able to defeat Hamas decisively, and put the country and the region on a path toward peace and stability.

I'm thankful for the leadership of President Bi to date, using the authority that it currently has.

Over the next week or so, it's my expectation that an additional supplemental appropri request will be sent to the Congress for us to consider.

And that's why it's so urgently necessary that the Republicans get their act together and elect the speaker from within their own ranks, as it is the responsibility of the majority party to do, or have traditional Republicans break with the extremists within the House Republican Conference and partner with Democrats on a bipartisan path forward.

We are ready, willing and able to do so.

I know there are traditional Republicans who are good women and men w function, but they are unable to do it within the ranks of their own conference, which is dominated by the extremist wing.

And that's why we continue to extend the hand of bipar GEOFF BENNETT: Extending Ukraine funding is now a point of contention among House Re Do you support the idea, as is being discussed, of linking aid to Israel with extended Ukraine funding as a strategy to have put both priorities pass?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFR American people in the most comprehensive way possible.

That involves ensuring that we are providing the state of Israel with the support that it needs to defeat Hamas and stabilize the situation in the region.

But it also means that we should stand by the Ukrainian people in their courageous effort to defeat Russian aggression in Europe, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.

There are also s dangerous world that may be part of the requests that the administration submits.

And so we're taking a wait-and-see approach until the administration actually sends up the specifics of the requests.

But I do think, Geoff, that it should be comprehens Ukraine, and aid to other allies within the free world to make sure that we are meeting the national security needs of the American people.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's talk about this race Ev en though Congressman Steve Scalise defeated Congressman Jim Jordan for the Re nomination to be speaker.

He does not have the 217 votes that h Still, though, is Steve Scalise someone who Democrats could work with?

And is there any scenario under which Democrats would supply him the votes that he needs to be elected?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFR the years.

He is obviou we believe is right for the health and safety, the economic well-being of the American But this is an issue right now for the Republicans to work out.

It is the responsibility of the Republican majority to identify a achieve 217 under the current number of people who are in the House, or hold and maintain 217.

And over the last week or so, the Republican And that's why we continue to offer a bipartisan path forward, so we can restructure the rules of the House to enable commonsense bipartisan legislation that has strong support from Democrats and Republicans to receive up-or-down votes without being blocked by the extreme MAGA Republican wing of the House Republican Conference.

There is a real path and a real opportunity to be serious, to be substantive, t in meeting the needs of the American people and our allies like Israel and Ukraine across the world.

But we just in a bipartisan coalition.

GEOFF BENNETT: When you you would only need five House Republicans to join with the 212 Democrats and elect you House speaker?

And we shoul districts that Joe Biden won?

Is that we are speaking of?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFR about any one particular individual and any one particular individua lead either House Democrats or House Republicans.

This is about what is good for the American people, not as Democrats or as Americans.

That's why, at this House in a bipartisan way, designed to allow for commonsense things to come to the floor, receive an up-or-down vote, for us to be able to actually move legislation that emerges from the Senate that is bipartisan in nature.

And Leader Schumer has done a tremendous job in working with Leader McCo And we want to get the House back on track, function.

And we can figure out a way to do it.

We are inherently reasonable about what we th But we just require Republican partners in order to do it.

GEOFF BENNETT: Practically, though, how would this work?

So there would be a Republican House speaker, but De memberships, they'd have a greater say in how the functions of the floor work?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFR And we are ready, willing and able to do just that.

But, first, we need Republicans to agree on the principl And there are only two options here.

The House can either continue to be driven Co nference, or we can alter the legislative landscape in a structured way to facilitate bipartisan cooperation.

I'm hopeful that my tr who care about the institution of the people's house are willing to sit down and talk with us about finding an enlightened path and agreement that allows us to do the business of the American people and solve problems for hardworking American taxpayers.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the absence of that, as you well know, House paralysis will reach a tipping point if dysfunction and this deadlock continue.

We have this November 17 government shutdown deadline.

Is there a path forward?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFR over the next few weeks are incredibly pressing.

We have to provide full funding for the government so we can meet the nee and, of course, address our national security considerations and stand by our close friend and ally Israel during this urgent time of need, after it has been brutally, unspeakably attacked by Hamas, an incredible terror visited upon the Israeli people in the most horrific way possible, and to make sure we can continue to stand with the Ukrainian people in their battle against Vladimir Putin and Russian aggression.

These are urgent matters that require immediate attention.

The Senate is out on recess this week, but they will be back next week.

And our hope is to have a fully functional House of Representatives as well so that we can meet the requests that come forth by President Biden, who's done -- who is doing an incredible job at this very fragile moment in America and across the globe.

GEOFF BENNETT: Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, thanks again for your time this evening.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Thank y GEOFF BENNETT: Since the terror attack by Hamas and Israel's ongoing response, there have been bitter debates on many college campuses over who bears responsibility.

This plays into already raging debates at many schools over free speech and, increasingly, academic freedom.

Judy Woodruff visited four Am erica's deep political divide.

It is part of her ongoing series Ame PROTESTERS: Racist, sexist, anti-gay.

Charles Murr PROTESTER: I It's disgust It's disgusting.

JUDY WOODRUFF: These are just some of the things invited guests to co have heard in recent years, as they were shouted down, mocked, and otherwise prevented from speaking.

PROTESTER: W We're not here to listen to you.

It's not wor JUDY WOODRUF commentator Ann Coulter was met with forceful student protests.

PROTESTER: No KKK, no fascist USA!

JUDY WOODRUFF: Students inside the room with Coulter repeatedly disru WOMAN: Ms. Coulter is going to stop her speech if we are not able to hear her.

If you would like to protest, there is a space to do that outside.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Until she walked out after 20 minutes.

Nick Weising, the president of Cornell Democrats and others, protested outside the law school where Coulter was speaking.

Did you think it was a good thing sh NICK WEISING, President, Cornell Democrats: Her But I think we need to be very careful ab JUDY WOODRUFF: But did you think she should have been allowed to speak?

NICK WEISING: I think that it was pretty immature the way that people interrupted her speech.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Armand Chancellor is a member of Cornell Republicans.

He was in the room during the Ann Coulter event.

ARMAND CHANCELLOR, Cornell Republicans: I more broadly and conservatives.

Even before she spoke, there were lot JUDY WOODRUFF: Rebecca Sparacio wrote about the incident in the student newspaper, The Cornell Sun.

REBECCA SPAR racist or sexist or anything like that.

But I do think it is important to hear all of these views, because when you the real world, I think you hear people discussing things that are not for the good of society.

And you have to learn how to react.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Not all students agree.

According to recent polling by the Foundation for Individual Rights group that tracks threats to freedom of speech, 62 percent of U.S. college students said that shouting down a speaker was acceptable to some degree; 20 percent said using violence to disrupt a speaking event would be acceptable to some degree.

In recent years, there have been increasing attempts by students to disinvite or shut down speakers with dozens of incidents each year.

And Americans across the political spectrum say they view colleges as unfriendly to conservative ideas.

Just 20 percent on campus, according to polling done by the Associated Press.

PROTESTER: My grandparents who never learned English are more American than you!

JUDY WOODRUFF: Following the Ann Coulter incident at Cornell, the students were sanctioned by the university.

And Cornell President Martha Pollack announced that this academic year.

MARTHA POLLACK, President, we do in the university.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Her s to highlight their concern about this issue.

MARTHA POLLACK: I felt that it was a moment where free e from both sides of the political spectrum in our nation.

And it just seemed to me important that u JUDY WOODRUFF: There are students and others who look at Ann Coulter and look at and think that's not a message that we should hear.

That's a message of hate.

Why should we have to listen to MARTHA POLLACK: Yes, t of bounds is, somebody has to get this to decide what counts as hate speech So it's really very dangerous to cede the right to express your views or that other person's views to someone else's decision.

And history has shown us over and over and th e marginalized groups that lose.

ILYA SHAPIRO, Senior Fellow, not much civil discourse going on at all.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Ilya Shapiro is a conservative constitutional schol at the libertarian Cato Institute, and was briefly the executive director of the Georgetown Law School Center for the Constitution.

That job was interrupted almost immediately by an in just before he started, when President Biden committed to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

ILYA SHAPIRO: his search by race and sex.

And late at night on Twitter, not a best practice kn own as a hot take before going to bed, didn't phrase it as I would have wished.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Shapiro says, because this meant his preferred choice wouldn't be named, the court would have, in his words, a -- quote -- "lesser Black woman."

ILYA SHAPIRO: And so we would end up with someone who was less qualified, in this case, a less qualified Black woman.

I didn't phrase that very well, and investigation.

JUDY WOODRUF Nevertheless, he resigned in protest.

He now contends that his experience is representative of a g on campuses across the nation.

ILYA SHAPIRO: There's a bureaucrac inclusion offices, that I think foment an illiberal trend to stifle freedom of speech.

KEVIN BOYLE, American University: I want you to disagree with me.

I need you to disagree with me.

I look out of different lens than y JUDY WOODRUFF: Whether from the right or the ag rees is a hyperpolitically conscious atmosphere on campuses, some colleges are now taking steps to encourage productive conversations among students and faculty.

KEVIN BOYLE: And I have to understand your experiences and you have to understand mine.

JUDY WOODRUFF: The American University Project on Civic Dialogue created what Wi th a Professor sessions.

KEVIN BOYLE: My position is, we as an adult.

JUDY WOODRUF to provoke disagreement among students.

COLLEGE STUDENT: Juvenile sentencing and juven kids and juveniles.

But adult prison is JUDY WOODRUFF: American university students we spoke to had varied opinions on the state of dialogue at their school.

Do you feel like, when you finish s to be able to have conversations with people who have profoundly different political views from you?

CHANELLE BON I feel like I'm not going to be shaken by it or taken back or, like, scared to speak up.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Is there a sense that students can speak up and speak their mind?

JULIAN WEISS, College Student: Well, I don't think so.

If you're looking for a job and you're at the center of a firestorm around politics.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Professor Lara Schwartz teaches She founded the Project on Civic Dialogue, which hosts the Disagree With a Professor sessions, and she encourages students to engage in dialogue.

LARA SCHWARTZ, American University: We're in a time when many, many people, instead of coming to conclusions based on inquiry, check what their team thinks about an issue and says, well, that's what I think about an issue.

So when you poll students the overwhelming it 's really important to hear from different perspectives, but we don't have a lot of practice in our society doing that.

JUDY WOODRUFF: But even as a number of campuses, concerns about limited speech, there's a growing worry among other schools, as conservative state governments are moving in the opposite direction.

Eight states now have laws on the books that limit what state-run colle professors can teach in their classrooms.

Florida's law is the most specific and so far the most restrictive.

The law S.B.266 makes it illegal to teach students that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States.

It also restricts funding for any campus activities that advocate for diversity, equity and inclusi or promote or engage in political or social activism.

SARAH HERNANDEZ, New College of Florida: We want to be able to h It's very simple.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Professor Sarah He public four year school in Sarasota.

She is also the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against th S.B.266.

SARAH HERNAN what can or cannot be taught in the classroom in terms of gender equality, issues of race and ethnic equality, so they don't allow one to be teaching about activism.

JUDY WOODRUFF: So you have made changes in what you teach as a result of this?

SARAH HERNANDEZ: The changes that have made are primarily in informing the students that what I'm telling them could be interpreted as being illegal, but always with a concern that I just might be fired at any point.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Governor Ron DeSantis took a special interest in the New th is year.

GOV.

RON DESANTIS Race Theory, other types of DEI-infused courses and majors, Florida's getting out of that game.

JUDY WOODRUF conservative activists, who fired the college president, denied tenure to professors and plan to phase out the gender studies program.

SARAH HERNANDEZ: We have lost a lot of professors.

They just don't feel safe working here, and they have no other o Similarly, we have had staff who have -- some of them have been let go.

And I'm thinking of the dean of DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Chai Leffler, a student of Professor Hernandez, is a senior who joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff.

CHAI LEFFLER, College Student: So I am an urban studies student at New College, and we no longer have any urban studies faculty.

And a lot of the urban studies programming and classes dire are currently in place.

JUDY WOODRUFF: G changes at New College.

GABY BATISTA is next, because, in actuality, that's the real fear, is that we're the co al mine.

JUDY WOODRUF board of trustees was installed.

SARAH HERNANDEZ: It's a very tense, I think, JU DY WOODRUFF: For her part, Professor Hernandez has decided to stay put.

SARAH HERNANDEZ: I left my country of birth many years ago.

There was some degree of political oppression.

I'm done running.

I feel that it's i freedom.

And unless s JUDY WOODRUFF: For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Judy Woodruff in Sarasota, Florida.

GEOFF BENNETT: Remember, there is more coverage online.

And join us tomorrow night here on PBS immediately after "Washington Week with The Atlantic" for prime-time special coverage, "War in the Holy Land."

JOHN YANG: The deadliest attack on Israel in 50 years.

GEOFF BENNETT: Brutal fighting between Israelis and Palestinians centere JOHN YANG: Amid threats the war and terror could spread further, the death toll mounts.

AMNA NAWAZ: Israel has hammered the region with airstrikes and artillery.

SHELLY BAREL, Survivor of Music Festival Attack: It's like nightmare.

We run away from the missiles.

JOHN YANG: "War in the H p.m. Eastern.

AMNA NAWAZ: coverage from right here in Israel.

We will be speaking with an Israeli woma And that is the "NewsHour" for tonight.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNET Thank you for