PBS News Hour

today sought to clarify comments she# made last night about the Civil War.

At a campaign event in New Hampshire,# the former South Carolina governor was## asked what she thought caused the war.

She# did not mention slavery in her response which the man in the audience# who posed the question noted.

NIKKI HALEY (R), Presidential Candidate: I# mean, I think the cause of the Civil War wa basically how government was going to run.

Th MAN: In the year 2023, it's astonishing to## me that you answered that question# without mentioning the word NIKKI HALEY: What do you# want me to say about slavery?

GEOFF BENNETT: Following backlash, Haley clarified# her re NIKKI HALEY: Of course the Civil War was about# slavery.

We know that.

that's unquestioned,## always the case.

We know the Civil War# was about slavery.

But it was also more## than that.

It was about the freedoms of every# individual.

It was about the role of government.

GEOFF BENNETT: Haley is trying to# close the wide polling gap in New## Hampshire between her and former# President Donald Tru has less than a month before that# state's first-in-the-nation prim A federal judge has accepted Georgia's# newly redrawn voting districts that favor## Republicans.

He said state legislators# fully complied with his order to create## more majority-Black voting districts.

The# judge's approval paves the way for the maps## to be used in the 2024 elections.

The fight# over redistricting was sparked by Democrats## whittling away at the GOP's dominance# in Georgia over past election cycles.

Huge surf battered the West Coast and# Hawaii today, bringing coastal flooding to## some low-lying areas.

Dangerous waves and rip# currents were generated by storms churning in## the Pacific Ocean.

High surf warnings were# issued for parts of Northern California,## where waves were expected to surge# as high as 40 feet in some areas.## Residents flocked to a beach in Santa# Cruz county for a firsthand look.

Parts of Northern and Central Europe# are underwater tonight after heavy## rain caused rivers to overflow.

Hundreds of# people in Germany were forced to evacu The Elbe River there is nearly 13 feet# above its normal level in some areas.

Meantime, in Hungary, residents and tourists# in Budapest are grappling with flooding from## the Danube River.

It overflowed after# days of unseasonably warm weather.

SANDOR ESZTERGALYOS, Hungarian Tourist (through# translator): We're standing next to Europe's## biggest river, which can now the weather has caused a sudden melting of all# the snow, and we're facing a flood in the winter.

GEOFF BENNETT: The rain cleared across# much of the region today.

But authorities## warned it will take some time before# water levels finally start rece U.S. and Mexican officials have agreed to# strengthen their cooperation to curb record## levels of migration.

Their pledge comes a day# after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken## was in Mexico City for high-level talks# on the issue.

They plan to hold another## round of discussions in Washington next# month.

Meantime, a caravan of some 6,000## migrants continues the long journey by foot# from Southern Mexico toward the U.S. border.

Starting today, independent lawyers will# now prosecute cases of sexual assault and## other major crimes in the U.S. military.# The mandate comes from a new law aimed at## addressing a rise in assaults and harassment# in the Armed Services.

It arose from concerns## that some commanders aren't taking victims' cases# seriously or are protecting alleged perpetrators.

In economic news, the U.S. job market cooled# last week, but not enough to cause concern.

The## Labor Department reported weekly jobless claims# rose to 218,000.

That's an increase of 12,000## from the previous week.

But the four-week# average of claims fell by 250 to 212,000.

And trading was light on Wall Street today.# The Dow Jones industrial average gained## 53 points to close at 37710.

The Nasdaq# fell four points.

The S&P 500 added two.

And still to come on the "NewsHour":## ballot measures in multiple stat U.S. oil production reaches a record high# during the hottest year in world history;## and high demand for weight loss drugs outstrips# supply and prompts concerns about their use.