News Wrap: NATO chief meets with Trump in bid to ease tensions

[0:00] In the day's other headlines, NATO Chief Mark Ruta met with President Trump behind closed doors at the White House today in a bid to ease tensions between the U.S. and the military alliance. [0:10] Before the meeting, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt shared what she called a direct quote from the president about NATO's actions during the Iran war, saying, quote, [0:19] They were tested and they failed. Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized the bloc for not backing his war and has threatened to withdraw the U.S. from the 32 member alliance. [0:30] Earlier in the day, Ruta also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has said the U.S. will have to re-examine its relationship with NATO. [0:39] Southwest Airlines is the latest U.S. carrier to say it's raising baggage fees as airlines grapple with higher energy costs brought on by the Iran war. [0:48] Starting tomorrow, passengers will pay $45 for their first checked bag and $55 for a second. [0:56] Southwest, of course, allowed free bags for years. [0:58] Those prices match the new fees by Delta, which took effect today, but a third checked bag on that airline jumps sharply to $200. [1:08] United Airlines and JetBlue also announced price hikes just last week. [1:13] In most cases, bags will still be free for customers in premium cabins, plus active duty military personnel and those with certain membership status. [1:22] In Georgia, Trump-backed Republican Clay Fuller will be sworn into Congress as early as next Tuesday after he won a special election to replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. [1:33] Fuller thanked supporters at an election watch party last night. [1:36] The Democrat Party poured millions of dollars into this campaign, but they can't beat Donald Trump, and they never will. [1:43] And I will be on Capitol Hill as a warrior to have his back each and every day. [1:47] He'll serve out the remainder of Greene's term, which ends in January. [1:51] But for Democrats, there was a silver lining. [1:54] Candidate Sean Harris performed better than expected in the deep red district that Greene won by nearly 30 points. [2:00] Harris said as much to his supporters. [2:02] The reality of it is, we came up a little short, but we did not lose, because nobody ever thought that a Democrat would actually have a performance like this. [2:14] Meantime, in Wisconsin, appeals court judge Chris Taylor beat back a conservative challenger to expand that state's Supreme Court's liberal majority 5-2. [2:25] Federal weather officials say last month was by far the warmest March on record for the continental U.S. [2:31] Data out today showed the average temperature was 50.9 degrees Fahrenheit. [2:36] That's more than 9 degrees higher than the 20th century average, which officials use as a benchmark to measure present-day temperatures. [2:44] And experts say nearly 20,000 daily records were shattered across the country in March. [2:49] The sweltering heat was inescapable for millions of Americans, from summer-like conditions on the West Coast to record low snowpack in the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas. [2:59] And forecasters expect that trend to continue. [3:03] Turning overseas now, Greece is the latest nation to say it intends to ban social media access for children under the age of 15. [3:11] The country's prime minister said the move is aimed at protecting children's mental health. [3:15] The science is clear. When a child spends hours in front of a screen, the mind does not rest. [3:24] That's why we have decided to move forward with something difficult, but necessary. [3:29] He went on to say that the Greek parliament will introduce the ban this summer, and if passed, it will come into force in January. [3:36] Last year, Australia became the world's first country to enforce a social media ban for children. [3:42] Since then, other countries like Malaysia, France, Denmark, and the UK have drawn up their own social media restrictions for young people. [3:50] The crew of the Artemis II mission is set to return home following their voyage around the far side of the moon. [3:55] Last night, NASA released this photo of the Milky Way galaxy taken on board their Orion spacecraft. [4:01] It's the latest glimpse from their journey, which has included extraordinary views of the lunar surface, providing new insights into the moon's topography. [4:10] The Orion capsule is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday evening. [4:15] On Wall Street today, stocks surged as ceasefire hopes in Iran sent oil prices tumbling. [4:21] The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 1,300 points on the day. [4:25] The Nasdaq added more than 600 points, or nearly 3%. [4:28] The S&P 500 also ended sharply higher. [4:31] And Jim Whitaker, the first American to reach the top of Mount Everest, has died. [4:36] His achievement back in 1963 made him an instant celebrity. [4:41] Whitaker developed an early reverence for mountains and a clear understanding of the risks they carry. [4:46] Once reflecting in a 1981 interview, when you live on the edge, you can see a little farther. [4:52] Jim Whitaker was 97 years old. [4:54] Still to come on the NewsHour, we speak with the partner of a DACA recipient detained by immigration authorities. [5:01] Portland, Oregon debates how a first-of-its-kind climate fund should be spent. [5:07] And comedian Lyric Lewis gives her brief but spectacular take on finding your authentic voice. [5:12] This is the PBS NewsHour from the David M. Rubenstein Studio at WETA in Washington, headquarters of PBS News.