AMNA NAWAZ: Good evening.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.

On the "NewsHour" tonight: reaction and analysis of the historic guilty verdict in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial, as the former president rails against his conviction.

DONALD TRUMP, Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone.

These are bad people.

These are, in many cases, I believe, sick people.

AMNA NAWAZ: President Biden calls on Hamas to accept Israel's latest cease-fire proposal.

GEOFF BENNETT: And a preview of Mexico's election after a violent and polarized campaign season comes to a close.

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

The fallout continued today after the historic conviction of Donald Trump on 34 criminal charges in New York City.

AMNA NAWAZ: The former president and the current president, Joe Biden, both spoke out about the verdict as the two men gear up for a rematch in November.

And, as Lisa Desjardins reports, the Republican Party was quick to line up behind its presumptive nominee.

DONALD TRUMP, Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: This is a scam.

This is a rigged trial.

LISA DESJARDINS: From former President Donald Trump, a 33-minute speech of defiance one day after being convicted of 34 felony charges of falsifying business records.

DONALD TRUMP: It shouldn't have been in that venue.

We shouldn't have had that judge.

LISA DESJARDINS: At Trump Tower, the Republican repeated grievances against the judge and district attorney involved in the case.

And he pushed at the boundaries of a gag order still in effect by blasting his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, though not by name.

DONALD TRUMP: He's a sleazebag.

Everybody knows that.

LISA DESJARDINS: The presumptive Republican presidential nominee asserted his case was treated differently than any other.

And he once again blamed the Biden administration, though with no direct evidence and without acknowledging his own team helped select the New York jury that unanimously convicted him.

President Biden reacted to the verdict, saying no one is above the law.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: It's reckless, it's dangerous, it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict.

LISA DESJARDINS: As Trump plans his appeal, his base spoke in dollars.

His campaign said they raised nearly $35 million in the hours after the verdict, at one point crashing a fund-raising Web site.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): I think they elected him president last night.

LISA DESJARDINS: The parade of Republican officials who had supported Trump in the courtroom during the trial blasted the outcome.

House Speaker Mike Johnson issued an unusual direct plea to the nation's High Court.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I do believe this Supreme Court should step in, obviously.

This is totally unprecedented, and it's dangerous to our system.

LISA DESJARDINS: But another prominent Republican, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, now running for U.S. Senate, wrote on social media: "I urge all Americans to respect the verdict."

In just over an hour, Trump's senior adviser responded sharply: "You just ended your campaign," a sign of the risk and retaliation facing those who break with Trump.

Democrats, including Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, largely focused on rule of law.

REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): You know, my initial reaction was, thank God for the jury system.

It was a great victory for the justice system within liberal democracy.

LISA DESJARDINS: Now, even as a convicted felon, Mr. Trump's presidential campaign continues.

The Constitution has no restrictions on his right to run.

And as a Florida resident, he can vote in November, as long as he stays out of prison.

But, if he were elected, Trump could not pardon himself, as these are state and not federal crimes.

The sentencing, including potential prison time, is scheduled for July 11, the week before he officially accepts the Republican nomination for president.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.

AMNA NAWAZ: For more on the political fallout of Trump's guilty conviction, Laura Barron-Lopez heard from Republican voters about how this impacts their thoughts on the former president and the upcoming election.

Laura, good to see you.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Good to be here.

AMNA NAWAZ: So you watched this focus group today with a group of voters the day after that guilty verdict.

How were they reacting?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Amna, this focus group was of voters who voted for Donald Trump twice in 2016 and in 2020.

And they were slightly already a little souring on him, but some of them could have very well gone back to him.

And it was conducted by a group run by Republican strategist Sarah Longwell.

And so after this verdict, they said, about six of them, there were nine total, about six of those voters said that the fact that these were felonies that Trump was convicted of carried more weight for them than if they had been misdemeanors.

And out of those nine voters, five of them said that this made them less likely to support Donald Trump, including 52-year-old Michele from Florida.

MICHELE, Florida: I'm tired of the lies.

I'm tired of the nonsense.

And I believed the testimony.

And that is why I am happy that the jury found him guilty.

And I think also, now that he is a convicted felon, he's completely unfit.

He can't pass a basic security clearance at this point.

I'm not sure if he can vote in Florida.

He may not be allowed to go to different countries as a felon.

This is not appropriate.

Knock it off, Republicans.

Find somebody else.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: And Michele, that voter, Amna, Michele, she had voted for Republicans her entire life, voted for Trump twice.

But this verdict carried a lot of weight with her.

It carried a lot of weight with a number of the other voters, who also some of them raised January 6 as something -- the insurrection as something that had started to convince them that they maybe couldn't vote for Trump again.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, Michele from Florida less likely to vote for him as a result of the verdict.

Was anyone pushed further towards Mr. Trump as a result of the verdict?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: One out of the nine voters in this focus group said that this verdict made him more likely to support Donald Trump.

And that's Mark, 54, from Florida -- sorry -- from Georgia, and he called it a sham trial.

MARK, Georgia: It's a double standard.

It was a politicized prosecution.

It was the elevation of what are misdemeanors into felonies just for political purposes.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: And the voters were also asked whether or not this verdict made them trust the justice system more, trust the justice system left, or it didn't change their mind.

And three of them said that it made them trust the justice system more.

Most said it didn't change how they viewed the system.

Mark, who we just heard from in Georgia, said that it made him not trust the justice system as much.

But as for whether or not they thought that Donald Trump should go to jail, Valerie, 64, also from Georgia, had a very strong response to that.

VALERIE, Georgia: He should start jail time, the crime -- the -- pay paid the penalty for the crime.

We all know what's going to happen.

They're going to negotiate and renegotiate.

And he's not going to serve any time, but he will get more time on television right here at election time.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: And, at the end of the day, they were asked, if you had to pick between President Biden or Donald Trump, who would you pick come November?

And roughly six of them said that they would vote for Joe Biden.

One, Mark, who we heard from, said that he would vote for Trump.

And one to two of them were basically unsure or said that they may not vote.

AMNA NAWAZ: Fascinating insight there.

Laura, as you know, and we heard earlier, Mr. Trump also continued his attacks on the judge in this case, Judge Merchan.

In the last 24 hours, we have now seen Republicans relentlessly attacking the judge, the judge's daughter, the judicial system.

What is the impact of all of that rhetoric?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Well, we're starting to see some direct impact, Amna, because, as you noted, a lot of Republicans, in addition to Donald Trump, have said that -- tried to sow doubt about the justice system, have directly attacked the judge in this case.

And I was working with Advance Democracy, a nonprofit investigative group that tracks far right social media, and provided us an early look at data that they have been gathering since the verdict came out yesterday.

And they were tracking social media across X, formerly known as Twitter, Telegram, TRUTH Social -- that's Trump's social media site -- and they found an increase in calls for violence and violent rhetoric.

They also found an increase in calls to dox jurors and to dox the judges.

And here are some examples.

On Telegram, one posted: "Hang the judge for corruption."

On a site called Patriots Win, another follower said: "Someone in New York with nothing to lose needs to take care of Judge Merchan.

Hopefully, he gets met with illegals and a machete."

And then another one posted: "We need the judge's address, along with his daughter's.

And we will be peacefully protesting, but, ultimately, the gloves are off and do your duty."

Now, posting these on Telegram, Amna, that is a Web site that is also used by Proud Boys.

The Proud Boys were at January 6.

So, overall, there has been an increase in calls for violence, an increase in calls for doxxing.

And, potentially, it appears that one user may have actually doxxed a juror, but they're still trying to verify whether or not it's that juror's address.

AMNA NAWAZ: Laura Barron-Lopez, great reporting, as always.

Thank you so much.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Thank you.

GEOFF BENNETT: President Biden today detailed a proposal that would release Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for a cease-fire.

The president called on Hamas to accept the deal and said it would lead to the end of the war in Gaza.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: It's time to begin this new stage, for the hostages to come home, for Israel to be secure, for the suffering to stop.

It's time for this war to end and for the day after to begin.

GEOFF BENNETT: Our foreign affairs correspondent, Nick Schifrin, is following this, and he joins us now.

So, Nick, what's in this latest proposal?

NICK SCHIFRIN: This is an Israeli proposal, Geoff, that President Biden unveiled for the first time in a speech today, and it's split into three phases.

Phase one would last six weeks during which Israel would cease fire.

Hamas would release about 30 hostages.

That includes the female, the elderly, and the infirm.

And Israel would release at least 700 Palestinian detainees, including those convicted of terrorism.

Israel would allow the -- quote -- "surge of humanitarian aid."

That includes temporary housing.

And, finally, Israel would withdraw from cities.

If we get past that, phase two would also last six weeks, beginning with the release of the remaining living hostages -- quote -- "the cessation of hostilities permanently."

That is what President Biden today called the end of the war.

And as the president put it -- quote -- "Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza."

And I want to focus on this fourth point coming up.

Cease-fire will continue as long as negotiations continue.

That is the main new aspect of this proposal, Geoff.

It might seem small, but it's significant.

In the past, Israel was basically threatening to restart the war after phase one, after the first six weeks.

Now Israel is promising to hold fire beyond phase one, beyond six weeks, so long as Hamas continues its negotiations.

And if the two sides were to get that far, phase three would be the return of hostages who died in Hamas custody and a three-to-five-year reconstruction of Gaza with -- quote -- "demilitarized Hamas."

And then that's where you get the bigger goals, Geoff, of course, Hezbollah moving back from the Lebanese border and perhaps even Israeli-Saudi normalization.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, Nick, how have the Israeli government and Hamas responded to this?

NICK SCHIFRIN: They have actually both responded positively, although with some ambiguity and definitely interpreting the president's words as they want to see them.

So, first, let's see Hamas' response.

Hamas - - quote -- "confirms its readiness to deal positively and in a constructive manner with any proposal based on permanent cease-fire, full withdrawal, reconstruction, the return of the displaced, and a genuine prisoner swap."

So, clearly, that first statement there, permanent cease-fire, Hamas sees this as the end of the war.

Now, Israel's response came from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

He made it said -- he said that the proposal would -- quote -- "enable Israel to continue the war until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities."

And he also called the transition from phase one to phase two conditional, so clearly leaving the possibility of the war continuing, and that Israel gets to decide and only Israel gets to decide whether to move from a temporary cease-fire to a permanent cease-fire.

And President Biden actually implicitly rebutted that argument, almost, today.

He said for the first time that Israel had degraded Hamas to the point where it could not launch another October 7 attack.

That is not intelligence that the U.S. has made public today.

U.S. officials, as we have talked about, Geoff, have been worried about Netanyahu not having a plan for the day after, as President Biden put it today, pursuing indefinite war in pursuit of an unidentified notion of total victory.

And Biden said today explicitly that, if you do that, you're going to bog Israel down, you're going to bog yourself down, and you're going to further isolate yourself.

And that's why analysts are telling me that this was not just an attempt to pressure Hamas.

This was actually an attempt to pressure the Israeli government to follow through on its own proposal and, if Hamas were to accept it, to actually see it through.

And, as for Netanyahu, well, he will have his say in Washington soon.

He's been invited to give a joint statement to Congress in the coming days.

GEOFF BENNETT: That's right.

Nick Schifrin, our thanks to you for that great reporting.

Thank you.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the day's other headlines: Germany has given Ukraine the green light to use long-range weapons supplied by Berlin on targets inside Russia.

The Biden administration gave a similar approval yesterday.

In both instances, the use of the weapons is limited to defending against Russian attacks on the border region of Kharkiv.

Meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Stockholm today concluding long-term security agreements with Sweden and Norway.

Kyiv has now signed such deals with 15 Western nations.

And Secretary of State Antony Blinken today said the upcoming NATO summit in July will bring more Western support, as well as a path to membership in the alliance.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. Secretary of State: And our purpose now is to put in place the bridge to bring Ukraine closer to and then ultimately into NATO.

And, as I have said, it's a bridge that I think you will see emerge at the summit that's both very strong and very well lit.

GEOFF BENNETT: Against the backdrop of diplomacy, there was a moment of relief on the front lines today as Russia and Ukraine took part in a prisoner exchange; 75 Russians and 75 Ukrainians were involved in the swap, the first since February.

And a passing of note tonight.

Marian Robinson, mother of former first lady Michelle Obama, has passed away, according to the family.

She was a fixture in the Obama White House, having moved from Chicago to Washington with the Obamas to help with her young granddaughters.

The family said in a statement -- quote - - "She passed peacefully this morning, and, right now, none of us are quite sure how exactly we will move on without her."

Marian Robinson was 86 years old.

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has registered as an independent.

The longtime Democrat has long flirted with leaving a party he thinks is far too liberal.

In a video statement today, Manchin cited his dedication to putting country before party as a reason for the switch.

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (I-WV): My commitment to my great country has been doing everything I can to make sure that we can survive as a representative form of democracy, a government that we have that the people are in control of, not the party systems.

And, today, for me to be able to fulfill that, I have changed my registration to being a no party affiliation independent.

GEOFF BENNETT: Manchin said in November he would not seek reelection, but the move today raises fresh questions about his future political aspirations.

A Manchin spokesperson tells the "NewsHour" he will continue to caucus with Democrats in the Senate.

The Texas Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to that state's strict abortion ban.

More than 20 women with serious pregnancy complications had filed a lawsuit seeking clarity on cases when a mother's life is in danger.

In its decision, the court wrote that the procedure is permitted if the mother has a -- quote - - "life-threatening physical condition that places her at risk of death or serious physical impairment," but refused to specify further.

Critics say the confusion means that most doctors won't risk performing an abortion.

They face fines and even jail time if they do.

Vermont has become the first state to require oil companies to pay for damage caused by climate change.

It comes after widespread flooding soaked Vermont's capital in nearby areas last summer.

The new law would assess the impacts of climate change on matters like public health and economic development, calculate the total climate change-related cost to Vermonters from 1995 to the end of this year, and use awarded funds to improve drainage, railway and roadway infrastructure.

Maryland, Massachusetts and New York are all considering similar legislation.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended the month on solid footing after a measure of inflation came in as expected.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 570 points to close at 38686.

The Nasdaq ended mostly flat at 16735.

The S&P 500 added 42 points.

And the Kansas City Chiefs visited the White House today to celebrate their second straight Super Bowl win.

President Biden briefly donned a Chiefs helmet as he congratulated the team on the South Lawn saying that he likes the idea of winning back to back.

He then turned around to shake the team members' hands, including star players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

Kelce's girlfriend, music superstar Taylor Swift, did not make an appearance.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": as a deadly heat wave grips much of India, a look at why temperatures are reaching record highs; and David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart break down the latest political headlines.

AMNA NAWAZ: Right now, India is one of the hottest places on the planet, and much of this past month has been brutal.

But South Asia is hardly the only place suffering extreme heat.

It's still May, and temperatures are already abnormally high in some parts of the U.S., Mexico, and elsewhere.

William Brangham has the latest.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Amna, temperatures in India's capital, New Delhi, where 35 million people live, reached 122 degrees Fahrenheit this week.

It's driving reports of heat-related deaths and illnesses across the country.

At night, the temperatures are still well over 90 degrees.

At the same time, New Delhi is also dealing with a critical water shortage.

Residents are struggling day to day.

SATISH KUMAR, Driver (through translator): I keep myself hydrated.

I drink water, lemon water, and protect my head with a piece of cloth.

I sit in the shade and drink buttermilk to benefit.

Otherwise, it is too hot out here.

Because of heat, our conditions have gone from bad to worse.

There's no relief, even from shade sometimes.

I have to drink five, six liters of water every day in the afternoon.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Across the world in Mexico, where there's a drought as well, howler monkeys have been dying off in 100-degrees-plus heat.

Here in the U.S., Miami just recorded its hottest May on record, with temperatures in the 90s and a heat index approaching 110.

They're expecting triple digits in Phoenix this weekend.

To help us understand more about what's driving this, we are joined by Andrew Pershing.

He is the director of climate science at Climate Central.

Andrew, thank you so much for being here.

First off, what is driving this?

Is this as simple as global climate change, that, as we continue to warm the planet and the atmosphere, that we see more of these extreme events?

ANDREW PERSHING, Climate Central: Yes, to a first approximation, that's exactly right.

We are on a warming planet because we have too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

One of the most obvious signs of that is that we see these extreme events popping up all over the world.

And I think, especially as you look at the number and the fact that they're occurring simultaneously in so many places, that's a really clear signal that we live on a planet that has a climate that is -- has been altered by people.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: What do you say to the devil's advocate who says, look, it's almost the cusp of summer, it's naturally warm in the summer, warmer in the summer, and, of course, we're going to see some spikes in temperatures, that that -- that this is not that unusual?

ANDREW PERSHING: I would say this is actually quite unusual, right?

That's what the data and the science suggest.

Absolutely, we can talk about any one of these places and it will have hot weather and it will have had hot weather in the past.

But the conditions you're seeing in India, these could not occur without climate change.

Many of the -- the pervasive heat that we -- that you talked about in Mexico, that almost certainly could not exist without climate change.

It's not just -- it's also the severity, but it's in some ways when it occurs, right?

Early season heat, that is a sign of climate change.

And it's the duration, right, how persistent the heat is in many places around the world.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Are there other factors beyond climate change that could be driving this in different locations?

ANDREW PERSHING: Weather happens, right?

You have natural weather variability in terms of where a heat wave sets up.

Things like El Nino are going to drive the patterns, like the blobs of heat and how they move around the planet.

But the fact that we're seeing so many of these events taking place all over the world at the same time, that's a very strong indication that climate change is behind much of the pattern that we're seeing.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Your organization, Climate Central, just put out this study looking at the increase in extreme heat events globally.

Can you tell us a little bit about what that study found?

ANDREW PERSHING: Sure.

We focused on days that anybody at that location would find hot for that location, right?

So, it's going to be a hotter temperature in Phoenix than it is in Boston.

But we looked around the world, and what we found was that climate change added, for the average person planet Earth, 26 extra days of extreme heat.

It's really an incredible burden that we're putting on people around the planet.

And it's even higher if you move into places like Central America, Northern Africa, and places in Southeast Asia.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: As you're indicating and as your report touches on, extreme heat doesn't fall proportionately on all members of society.

Can you talk a little bit about the people who suffer the most when the temperature goes way up?

ANDREW PERSHING: Sure.

So, when the temperature goes way up, the people who suffer the most are the people who are already vulnerable for one reason or another.

So it could be because they're very old or very young or have some sort of underlying health condition.

And that underlying health condition could be pregnancy.

People who are pregnant are highly vulnerable to heat.

But then you add in these kind of social vulnerabilities.

If you are homeless and living on the street, you're going to be very highly vulnerable.

That's what -- that's what folks see in Phoenix during their extreme heat events.

I believe it was like 80 percent of the deaths came from their unhoused population.

People who are who are abusing drugs are going to be more susceptible.

So any of these kind of social vulnerabilities are going to magnify the potential that -- for a bad outcome.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Are there things that -- I mean, we know that cutting the emissions of greenhouse gases is the number one way we can tackle climate change globally.

But, on a local level, are there things that people can do, that governments can do to protect those most vulnerable people when the temperature soars?

ANDREW PERSHING: Absolutely.

And that's, I think, one of the really unique things about heat relative to other kind of major climate-driven weather events, like major hurricanes or things like that, is that there's a lot that we can do individually and as communities to keep people safe in the heat, right?

Individually, you can take care of yourself, drink water, like, understand where your options are to stay cool and keep an eye on your friends and neighbors, and then, for things like cities, systems that help keep -- get the more - - most vulnerable into cooling centers.

Things that you can do around, planting trees or lightening the surface of a city to reflect some of that radiation back into space, those can help keep the environment cool.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: All right, Andrew Pershing of Climate Central, thank you so much for being here.

ANDREW PERSHING: Well, thanks for having me.

GEOFF BENNETT: As many as 100 million Mexicans go to the polls Sunday to elect a new president.

And it's already guaranteed to be historic.

Both leading candidates are women.

And the country has never in its 200-year history had a female leader.

The main issues in Mexico's largest ever election are security, migration and the economy.

But, as Nick Schifrin reports, the leading candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum, represents multiple firsts.

And a note of caution: This story contains images and accounts of violence.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Never before has Mexico had a woman, the granddaughter of Jewish immigrants, and a Nobel Prize-winning climate scientist as president.

But Claudia Sheinbaum calls herself a disciplined defender of Mexico's future.

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, Mexican Presidential Candidate (through translator): We will have an honest government without corruption or impunity.

We will not submit to any economic or foreign power, no matter how powerful it may be.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Running a distant second, former Senator Xochitl Galvez, who leads the country's broad opposition coalition.

She's questioned whether Sheinbaum is just the protege or will be the puppet of current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO.

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM (through translator): The transformation initiated by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is not going backwards.

LILA ABED, The Wilson Center: The big question mark surrounding a possible Sheinbaum administration is what role Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is going to play, if any, and whether she's going to really make a mark of her own.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Lila Abed is the acting director of the Mexican Institute at The Wilson Center.

LILA ABED: She can't completely distance herself from the political platform, from the government plan that got AMLO into power and that has sustained high levels of approval rates.

And that is what she's running on.

She is not running necessarily on a new political platform.

She's building on what AMLO has achieved.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But voters' single most important issue might be what Lopez Obrador has failed to achieve, security.

A Mexican security firm says more than 700 people connected to the election have been threatened, kidnapped or murdered; 34 candidates were killed between September and May, much of the violence unleashed by cartels that fight for lucrative trafficking routes in the most violent states, Guerrero, Puebla, and Chiapas.

In Chiapas, candidates have been running for office and from gangs.

Earlier this year, Diego Perez, the mayoral candidate in San Juan Cancuc, was found dead, dumped in a ditch with signs of torture.

And this month, 28-year-old Lucero Lopez, a mayoral candidate in La Concordia, was shot to death at a campaign rally.

LINDA HIGUERA, Green Party (through translator): It's hard.

We need to be able to walk in our streets with security, with freedom.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Linda Higuera is running to head the county administration in San Cristobal.

She's a member of the Green Party, aligned with President Lopez Obrador.

Earlier this month, assailants attacked her campaign car after she participated in an LGBTQ event.

LINDA HIGUERA (through translator): They were screaming homophobic words, hateful words, intimidating messages against me, saying: "You're not going to succeed.

You're a woman."

As a woman, you feel unprotected.

You're in an environment where you feel persecuted.

They destroy your van and there are no consequences.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In a violent state, ballots are guarded by soldiers.

But in some areas, armed groups blocked election workers from creating polling stations.

And in the indigenous town of Pantelo (ph), 500 people fled for fear of violence and the election won't even be held.

Claudia Rodriguez is the Chiapas executive director of the National Electoral Institute.

CLAUDIA RODRIGUEZ, National Electoral Institute (through translator): Obviously, it's because of the fear they have.

Some political actors have told us they don't want elections to take place.

It's difficult, and we as an institution support peaceful elections, but we cannot enter a community by force to elect a representative.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Chiapas' Green Party Chiapas' Green Party and Linda Higuera believe Claudia Sheinbaum can bring security.

LINDA HIGUERA (through translator): I'm sure she will be a great ally for all the women who need that support, that protection, so that we're no longer intimidated.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez calls Lopez Obrador's security policy, known as hugs, not bullets, of failure.

XOCHITL GALVEZ, Mexican Opposition Presidential Candidate (through translator): Is security today better than ever?

Of course not; 186,000 people were murdered and 50,000 people disappeared.

That is the result of a security strategy, where the hugs have been for the criminals and the bullets for the citizens.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Sheinbaum's new solutions are a national intelligence agency and investments in young Mexicans who are vulnerable to organized crime.

LILA ABED: At the same time, she wants to continue consolidating the National Guard, wants to make sure it falls under the Ministry of Defense.

And so she would, in essence, continue what many have called the militarization of previous civilian forces in Mexico.

And there's a lot of concern, because the military is not necessarily trained on protecting human rights and making sure that when they are dealing with these new responsibilities, that they carry it out in a very responsible and legal manner.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The Mexican government has also used the military to block migrants' travel north, lowering migrant crossings, in cooperation with the Biden administration.

But it's not clear if that's sustainable, and the election has not produced alternative solutions.

LILA ABED: And Claudia Sheinbaum, at least she has said that she is going to ask the next U.S. president for funds to sustain the large amount of migrants that are now in Mexican territory.

But, more than that, there really is no comprehensive, detailed strategy or plan on behalf of one of the candidates or the other in terms of how they're going to deal with migration.

NICK SCHIFRIN: And so the woman whose family escaped Nazi persecution inherits major challenges throughout the country, but the glass ceiling won't be one of them.

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

AMNA NAWAZ: A new study this week adds to the growing body of evidence that girls in America are reaching puberty earlier, with potentially troubling implications for their long-term health.

More girls are getting their first periods sooner than previous generations and experiencing longer periods of menstrual irregularity as well.

We're joined now by the senior author of that study, Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah, assistant professor at the Harvard T.H.

Chan School of Public Health.

Doctor, welcome, and thanks for joining us.

DR. SHRUTHI MAHALINGAIAH, Harvard T.H.

Chan School of Public Health: Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ: So let me just tick through some highlights of your study real quick here.

You found there that girls are now -- or, rather, were getting their first period on average at the age of 12.5 between 1950 and 1969.

Now, between 2000 and 2005, that's down to 11.9 years old.

You also found the percentage of girls getting their period before the age of 11 almost doubled from about 8.5 to 15.5, and the percentage of girls getting their period before the age of 9 more than doubled.

Doctor, why is this significant and worth paying attention to?

DR. SHRUTHI MAHALINGAIAH: Sure.

The age at the first period and time to cycle regularity are two aspects of menstrual health.

It is really, really important to understand this trend for a variety of reasons.

One of the most important reasons is that both of these characteristics are associated with a variety of long-term health consequences.

And for those with very early age at the first period or menarche and persistently irregular periods, those risks include risk of cardiovascular disease, infertility or fertility problems, mood disorders, and cancers, to name a few.

AMNA NAWAZ: And the big question here, of course, is, why?

Why are we seeing this trend?

What do we know about that?

DR. SHRUTHI MAHALINGAIAH: When we evaluated that exact question, we thought about, how could body mass index, particularly around the age at the first period, influence this.

And we found that about half of this trend could be explained by body mass index at menarche.

When we looked at maybe what else might be going on, controlling for body mass index, we still noticed a trend towards decreasing age at the first period.

And there are a variety of concerns I have around this and other studies have shown, including exposure to environmental factors, like hormone-disrupting chemicals, air pollutants, heavy metals, and exposures to stress and childhood trauma are some important things to consider.

AMNA NAWAZ: There were also some substantial differences along racial and socioeconomic lines, girls of color, in particular, starting menstruation earlier relative to their white peers.

What explains that?

DR. SHRUTHI MAHALINGAIAH: When we looked at the absolute difference, comparing those of white race ethnicity to other racial minorities, the kind of white girls reduced that age at first period to about six months, and other race ethnic groups had a reduction of almost a year from the first birth cohort to the most recent.

We think about race ethnicity as a surrogate marker for exposures.

So, we're thinking about what are the other exposures that might covary with being in a particular race ethnic group, from exposures related to personal care products to stress and racism.

AMNA NAWAZ: You know, it's worth pointing out that this study was based on self-reported data, right?

It was through an app.

Over 70,000 women participated.

What should we understand about the limitations of data collected that way and what questions you still have?

DR. SHRUTHI MAHALINGAIAH: There are many important limitations to consider about data collected by self-report.

And there are limitations regarding how we collected the data.

Participants had to have an iPhone and download the research app and be comfortable communicating in English.

So we do have to interpret all of this information in the context of the population recruited into the study.

However, I think that what we are finding does allow a high-level look into the time trends across a vast time span of birth cohorts.

And we are very much interested in promoting awareness of this topic to allow for education of providers and children.

And in terms of future research, looking into further impacts of environmental exposures is something that I'm very interested in.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, to that goal of raising awareness here, a lot of parents are going to hear this.

They're going to be very worried.

They're going to wonder what they should do, if anything, to keep their children safe and healthy.

What would you say to them?

DR. SHRUTHI MAHALINGAIAH: For parents and caregivers, if you notice early signs of puberty, like breast development, going into the pediatrician for an evaluation is really important.

And then, in terms of what you can do to promote health and wellness around the menstrual cycle, include a diet of whole foods.

It's very hard in today's modern world to have a diet of no ultra-processed foods, but try to limit processed foods and fast foods as much as possible and bring in those leafy green vegetables, fruits is really important.

Addressing other aspects of health through behavior, including balancing physical activity and addressing circadian rhythms and sleep health is very important in promoting health in this age group.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah, assistant professor at the Harvard T.H.

Chan School of Public Health.

Doctor, thank you so much for joining us.

We appreciate your time.

DR. SHRUTHI MAHALINGAIAH: Thank you.

OK, take care.

GEOFF BENNETT: It was a week that saw Donald Trump become the first former American president to be convicted of a felony.

We turn now to the analysis of Brooks and Capehart.

That's New York Times columnist David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart, associate editor for The Washington Post.

Thank you so much for being here.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Hey, Geoff.

GEOFF BENNETT: So I'd like to begin by asking you both to reflect on the significance of this moment, a former and potentially future president found guilty on all 34 counts in his criminal hush money trial, who, upon his sentencing on July 11, will officially become a convicted felon under New York state law.

Jonathan, you have the first word tonight.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, yesterday was a surprising day just because, at one moment, we're told the judge is going to let the jury go at 4:30, and then, the next minute, we have a verdict.

Yesterday was a very solemn day.

Whether you like the guy or not, the idea, the fact that a former president of the United States was found guilty on all counts unanimously by a jury of his peers, and that same person is the presumptive nominee for president of the Republican Party,it just -- just for the office, it was solemn.

I think, for where we are as a country, it was a solemn day, because, in the before times, he would no longer be the candidate, that another more upright, more reflective of the party and the country would become the nominee.

And I know he's perfectly reflective of the party as it is now, but I'm talking about the before time.

And so I was elated because he's being held accountable.

But at the same time, I'm a little crestfallen because of what it says about where the country is right now.

GEOFF BENNETT: Somber and solemn.

How does it strike you?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, I will go back to Jonathan's phrase, the before times.

DAVID BROOKS: In the before times, I was working at National Review, The Wall Street Journal editorial page, The Weekly Standard, a lot of conservative places, and there were pillars of conservatism.

The first is moral character, that character's destiny, and if there's -- if private virtue falls apart, the public order collapses.

And we shouldn't forget the fact this case was about a president, a former president, paying hush money to a porn star.

I mean, in what world do we enter that?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Right.

DAVID BROOKS: The second is institutions and the power of institutions to safeguard society and hold off barbarism.

And there was a moment that some of the people who were in the courtroom described when the jury asked the judge to read back some of the technical fineries of the indictment and of how they should think about the law.

And, apparently it was very dry and technocratic language.

And yet the members of the jury looked at the judge with a rapt reverence.

And I have always found in juries that juries take their responsibilities very seriously.

And so these are character institutions.

And Donald Trump is, if nothing else, a transgressor.

And if he wins in the fall, the attack on the institutions won't only be to the justice system.

It'll be to the Defense Department.

It'll be to the attorney general's office.

It'll be a comprehensive assault on American institutions.

And that's sort of what's at stake.

Can those institutions hold?

And, in my view, yesterday, they did.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, as Lisa Desjardins reported earlier in this broadcast, Donald Trump addressed reporters this morning.

He spoke for more than 30 minutes, firing off grievances.

He attacked the judge, the justice system, really tried to portray himself as a political martyr.

This is a theme that's been central to his 2024 campaign.

And, Jonathan, it would appear that it's an effective way to rally his supporters, because the Trump campaign says, in less than 24 hours since that verdict came down, they raised $34.8 million.

That's half the entire amount they raised in all of April.

How is this going to play, not just with his base, but with independent voters, with those soft Trump supporters who really potentially could decide this election?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: I mean, they could, but this is one of those time will tell moments.

I mean, we're just 24 hours from having this guilty verdict.

So we don't know how independents are going to respond.

We don't know how those folks on the periphery of the Republican Party who might not like him and what he stands for, but could potentially vote for him.

But bully for them, $34.8 million, great.

But I -- what's he going to spend that money on?

Who are these people he's getting this money from?

But the other thing that is most -- I find fascinating about this, and I forgot to mention this in my first answer, I can't believe Nixon, President Nixon, Richard Nixon had something that Donald Trump does not have.

And that's a sense of shame.

Richard Nixon had enough sense of shame that he resigned the office, rather than be impeached, because the stain of it -- he did not want the stain of impeachment.

And yet Donald Trump has been impeached twice and is running for president again basically to keep himself, he hopes, out of prison, given the other cases that are coming down the road.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, David, picking up on that point, what does all of this reveal about Donald Trump, the space he occupies in American life, and the degree to which he has really shifted the center of our politics?

DAVID BROOKS: Well, he tells a story.

The story is, they're out to get you and the system is fundamentally broken.

And that's a story a lot of people agree with, and a lot of people think was vindicated yesterday.

I was very struck by my friends in the Republican Party, some of them Trump supporters, some more Nikki Haley types, I was struck by how vociferous their reaction was.

A lot of them saw this as the equivalent of January 6, that this was the day the justice system was perverted to launch a political attack and the fundamental institutions of society are under threat.

And so they are way more fired up than I anticipated.

And these are people from Susan Collins, who's a moderate Republican from Maine, over to the right.

The second thing is, the political effect of this is I suspect it'll be a little marginal.

The people who are supporting him are going to support him.

They have discounted who he is.

And they buy the basic, the system is out to get you.

And this revivifies for that for them.

The people who are marginal -- and there are a significant number of people who tell pollsters, I will reconsider my vote if Donald Trump is convicted.

But those are not people who pay a lot of attention to politics.

They tend to be people who supported Biden in 2020 and now are shifting over to Trump.

So they're low-information, fickle voters, and we don't know how they will go.

I suspect they won't go very far.

I think the basic system of this story, the basic question of this election is, the system is broken.

We need this guy, no matter how big a jerk he is.

We need him to take it to the man.

And I suspect they will stick around for him.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, after Donald Trump's appearance this morning, President Biden delivered remarks from the White House focused mostly on the Middle East.

But he had this to say in response to what Donald Trump had said.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: They found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts.

Now he will be given the opportunity, as he should, to appeal that decision, just like everyone else has that opportunity.

That's how the American system of justice works.

And it's reckless, it's dangerous, it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict.

GEOFF BENNETT: Jonathan, I was talking to a Democratic operative today not aligned with the Biden campaign, but who said this is the time that the Biden campaign should litigate the case against Donald Trump to effectively say, you might have concerns about inflation, you might have concerns about Biden's age, but are you really going to vote for a convicted felon?

Do you think that the campaign is doing enough?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Doing enough?

The verdict has only been out for 24 hours.

And I'm not -- I'm not yelling at you, Geoff.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: I'm yelling at that Democratic operative you talked to and the legions who this person represents, because this is the thing.

This is what Democrats do.

They -- remember State of the Union.

Everyone was elated.

Now we're back to, oh, my God, what are they doing?

It's been less than -- it's been 24 hours.

Give it some time.

I thought the president's tone and what he had to say was perfect.

Why?

Because he was being the grownup in the room and in the nation, defending the justice system, and saying what is proper, right and fair.

There's plenty of time to litigate the case against Donald Trump.

He's going to give tons of fodder for it - - to give the campaign an opportunity to respond.

So, Democrats, just calm down.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, our Laura Barron-Lopez reported yesterday that the campaign in many ways echoes Donald Trump's judgment, in that the ultimate decision will be made by the voters in November and that voters, by and large, will be voting on the issues, not necessarily on this case in particular.

How do you see it?

DAVID BROOKS: I do think that.

I like the fact that Biden sort of has been restrained, because this should not be Democrat versus Republican.

This should be justice system versus Trump.

That's what this day should be about.

But we -- Trump is not the only populist semi-authoritarian in the world.

We have had 20 years of this now.

And people all around the world have tried to figure out, how do we beat these guys?

And if you look at the global consensus, if you can get your mind outside of the American context, going low and calling them names, that just doesn't work.

Replicating his style, that just doesn't work.

And if you look at the people who have successfully beat back populists strong men in Poland and other places, they have gone substance.

They have gone, here are the issues, here's my program, here's that program, here's that program.

I'm not fighting about his little games.

I'm just offering you a bunch of programs that are in your family's interest.

And, that way -- that seems to be, to me, a smarter strategy to take on populists.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's talk more about how top Republicans are viewing all of this, because House Speaker Mike Johnson was on FOX yesterday and suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court should step in.

Here's what he said.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I do believe this Supreme Court should step in, obviously.

This is totally unprecedented and it's dangerous to our system.

I mean, we have all discussed this before and you all talk about it all the time.

This is diminishing the American people's faith in our system of justice itself.

And to maintain a republic, you have to have that.

People have to believe that justice is fair, that there's equal justice under law.

They don't see that right now.

And I think that the justices on the court, I know many of them personally.

I think they're deeply concerned about that, as we are.

GEOFF BENNETT: That was Johnson on FOX News this morning, in fact.

And it's not just him.

Senate Majority Leader -- Senate Minority Leader, rather, Mitch McConnell, who has had a frosty relationship with Donald Trump, says, in his view, this case never should have been brought in the first place.

How do you view the ways in which Republicans are circling the wagon here, even when it comes to this felony conviction?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: I just - - I find it reprehensible.

And when it comes to Speaker Johnson, I just find what he says basically as dangerous as what Donald Trump said today during that press conference at Trump Tower.

Speaker Johnson is the second in line to the presidency.

He should be, if not silent on this, as responsible and measured, while disagreeing, as the president was today, President Biden was today, in talking about the case.

If anything gives me pause, it is the vociferous reaction of Republicans, particularly of Republicans who in the before times would be saying the exact opposite of what they're saying now.

GEOFF BENNETT: David, final word?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, I mean, I -- I think it's crazy.

Listen, I had some doubts about an elected Democrat prosecutor going after Donald Trump in New York.

Of course, anybody has doubts.

But you have got to take the jury system seriously.

And whether you like what Alvin Bragg did or not, he was -- Trump was convicted on 34 counts by a jury.

The jury is the core of our legal system.

And for Johnson to sort of wave the jury aside and say, I know better than the people who actually sat in the room and listened to the charges, that's -- that sounds like politics to me.

GEOFF BENNETT: David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart, thank you both.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Geoff.

AMNA NAWAZ: And online: Tens of thousands of people go missing each year, what advocates call a silent epidemic in the United States and one that affects Black women at disproportionate rates.

That's at PBS.org/NewsHour.

GEOFF BENNETT: And be sure to tune into "Washington Week With The Atlantic" tonight.

Jeffrey Goldberg and his panel discuss Donald Trump's historic guilty verdict and how it will play on the campaign trail.

AMNA NAWAZ: And on "PBS News Weekend": how people with disabilities are navigating the relaxed COVID guidelines and lack of masking.

GEOFF BENNETT: But before we go tonight, a note of thanks to a dear member of our "NewsHour" team.

Our lighting director, Charlie Ide, the man responsible for making sure this show looks as good as it does every night, is retiring today after a remarkable 43-year career here at the "NewsHour" and the station WETA.

AMNA NAWAZ: Charlie began here in 1980, working with everyone from Cokie Roberts to Jim Lehrer to, of course, Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff.

Over the years, Charlie has worked on countless WETA shows, from breaking news to election nights and, of course, on "Washington Week" and the "NewsHour."

But here is what you don't get to see.

Charlie has also been our unofficial deejay, playing everything from classic rock to hip-hop as we leave the studio every night.

GEOFF BENNETT: That's right.

He's also officially the best-dressed team member, with one of the most impressive sneaker collections I have ever seen.

GEOFF BENNETT: Charlie, as you step into retirement, we wish you and your wife, Sarah (ph), nothing but the best.

Your legacy will continue to shine brightly here at the "NewsHour," friend.

There go those sneakers.

AMNA NAWAZ: Charlie, thank you for making everything that we do better and brighter and for always making a smile.

We will miss you so.

(APPLAUSE) GEOFF BENNETT: We're going to miss you, Charlie.

And that is the "NewsHour" for tonight.

I'm Geoff Bennett.

AMNA NAWAZ: And I'm Amna Nawaz.

On behalf of the entire "NewsHour" team, thank you for joining us.