
News Wrap: Israel launches ground operation in Gaza
Clip: 3/19/2025 | 4m 33sVideo has Closed Captions
News Wrap: Israel launches ground operation in Gaza after ending ceasefire with Hamas
In our news wrap Wednesday, Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza after abruptly ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas, a judge moved the case of Mahmoud Khalil to New Jersey, the White House suspended $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over a transgender athlete and the Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady for the second meeting in a row.
Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...

News Wrap: Israel launches ground operation in Gaza
Clip: 3/19/2025 | 4m 33sVideo has Closed Captions
In our news wrap Wednesday, Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza after abruptly ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas, a judge moved the case of Mahmoud Khalil to New Jersey, the White House suspended $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over a transgender athlete and the Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady for the second meeting in a row.
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Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipGEOFF BENNETT: We start today's other headlines in# the Middle East, where Israel says it launched a## limited ground operation in Gaza after abruptly# ending a two-month cease-fire with Hamas.
The Israeli military claims to have recaptured# part of a key corridor that bisects Gaza after## withdrawing as part of the truce.
By air,# a wave of Israeli attacks hit sites in## Gaza for a second day in a row.
Several# U.N. employees were rushed to a hospital## after a strike on a U.N. compound killed# one worker and severely injured at least## five others.
Israel denied responsibility.
A# U.N. official said it's under investigation.
JORGE MOREIRA DA SILVA, U.N. Office# for Project Services: In my opinion,## this was not an accident.
It cannot b.. least an incident.
U.N. personnel and its# premises must be protected by all sites.
GEOFF BENNETT: Meantime in Israel,# ultra-nationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir## regained his position as national# security minister.
He had left the## government coalition in January to# protest the cease-fire with Hamas.
A federal judge is moving the case of# Columbia University graduate Mahmoud## Khalil to New Jersey.
That's because# the 30-year-old was being held there## when his lawyers first challenged the# legality of his detention.
Khalil is## currently at a facility in Louisiana# as U.S. officials seek to deport him.## ICE agents arrested Khalil earlier this month for# his role in pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
He is a legal us resident with no criminal record,## and his lawyers say the grounds for his# arrest violate his First Amendment rights.
The White House says it's suspending $175# million in federal funding for the University## of Pennsylvania.
It follows an investigation# into Penn's swimming program that focused on## Lia Thomas, an openly transgender athlete who# last competed for the school in 2022.
A Penn## spokesperson says they have not received# details of the action, but in a statement## added -- quote -- "We have been in the past# and remain today in full compliance with the## regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all# of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions."
Penn joins Columbia University as the second Ivy## League school to be targeted by the# administration in the last two weeks.
A jury in North Dakota found Greenpeace liable# for defamation and other claims related to## protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline.# The environmental group must pay hundreds## of millions of dollars to the Dallas-based# energy transfer company and its subsidiary## Dakota Access.
The lawsuit accuses Greenpeace# of defamation, trespass, nuisance, and other## acts during the 2016 and 2017 protests near the# reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
Activists opposed the oil pipeline's# construction as a risk to the local## water supply.
Greenpeace says its employees# had little to no involvement in the protests.
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest# rate steady today for the second meeting in a## row.
But even as it projects slower economic# growth, the Central Bank signaled it still## expects to cut rates twice this# year.
At a news conference today,## Fed Chair Jerome Powell called the outlook# uncertain.
He explicitly cited tariffs as## a potential obstacle to the Fed's effort to# bring inflation down to its 2 percent goal.
JEROME POWELL, Federal Reserve Chairman: Goods# inflation moved up pretty significantly in## the first two months of the year.
Trying to# track that back to actual tariff increases,## given what was tariffed and what was# not.
Very, very challenging.
So some## of it -- the answer is clearly some of it,# a good part of it is coming from tariffs.
GEOFF BENNETT: Those tariff concerns# took a back seat on Wall Street today## as investors focused instead on the# Fed's commitment to further rate## cuts.
The Dow Jones industrial average# added nearly 400 points on the day.
The## Nasdaq jumped nearly 250 points.
The S&P# 500 added 60 points, or about 1 percent.
Still to come on the "News Hour": we speak# with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer## about his party's infighting over how to oppose# the White House; how the Trump administration's## changes to Social Security could limit access# to benefits for millions; and one Michigan## county tries to heal political divisions five# years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community attempts to heal divisions deepened by pandemic
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Michigan community attempts to heal political divisions deepened by the pandemic (9m 14s)
Law professor analyzes Trump's clash with the judiciary
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Constitutional law professor analyzes Trump's clash with the judiciary (6m 50s)
Schumer defends voting with GOP saying shutdown is worse
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'We had an awful choice': Schumer defends voting with GOP saying shutdown would be worse (13m 13s)
Social Security changes could limit access to benefits
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Trump administration's Social Security changes could limit access to benefits for millions (6m 19s)
Trump continues attack on judge despite chief justice rebuke
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Trump continues attack on federal judge despite rebuke from chief justice (4m 54s)
Ukraine, Russia to pause infrastructure attacks
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Ukraine, Russia to pause attacks on energy infrastructure but still divided on peace deal (5m 49s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipMajor corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...