News Wrap: Biden apologizes to Zelenskyy for delay in Ukraine aid

Geoff Bennett:

President Biden publicly apologized today for the monthslong delay in getting U.S. military aid to Ukraine. His comments came during his visit to France, where he also announced a new $225 million security package for Kyiv.

Amna Nawaz:

It's the Biden administration's sixth round of security assistance for Ukraine since the president signed a broader $95 billion security package in April. That measure, which also included funds for Israel and Taiwan, had been held up in Congress for six months.

In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris today, President Biden said that he's sorry for the wait.

Joe Biden, President of the United States: I apologize for the — those weeks of not knowing what was going to — in terms of funding, because we had trouble getting the — a bill that we had to pass that had the money in it — from some of our very conservative members who were holding it up.

Amna Nawaz:

Later, the president paid tribute to the Army Rangers who stormed the beaches of Normandy as he stood on the very cliffs they scaled 80 years ago. In his remarks, he invoked their sacrifice to call for the defense of democracy in the U.S. and abroad.

The U.S. military says it's reconnected a pier meant to deliver aid to Gaza after it broke apart in storms last month. The maritime route was intended as an alternative to delivering aid by land, as Israel carries out its military operations in Gaza. The pier took two months to build and had only been in operation for about a week when it was damaged. U.S. Central Command says deliveries are expected to resume in the coming days.

Meanwhile, in Central Gaza, Palestinians mourned outside of a hospital after the latest round of deadly Israeli airstrikes. Health officials say at least 18 people were killed overnight, including four children and one woman.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has disclosed two luxury trips from 2019 that were partially paid for by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. Justice Thomas said the trips to Bali, Indonesia, and to California's Wine Country were — quote — "inadvertently omitted" from a previous disclosure.

The Bali trip was part of a ProPublica report last year that led to renewed focus on the court's ethics. Eight of the nine justices provided new disclosures, including Ketanji Brown Jackson, who received $900,000 for her upcoming memoir and Beyonce tickets gifted by the singer herself.

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges as in Arizona's election subversion case. Michael Roman, who served as Trump's elections day operations director, also pleaded not guilty. The pair are alleged to have been part of an effort to submit the names of fake electors from Arizona to Congress after the 2020 election in a bid to keep Trump in office.

Joe Biden won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes.

The Biden administration is raising fuel economy standards for new cars. According to updated rules from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, light-duty vehicles must meet an average of 50.4 miles per gallon by model year 2031. Officials say the rules will save Americans more than $23 billion in fuel costs.

For passenger cars, this will require an increase in fuel economy by 2 percent each year, starting with 2027 models. And it involves a similar increase for SUVs and other light trucks starting in 2029. The new requirements are well below the levels the administration initially proposed last year.

The U.S. labor market remains on strong footing. New data out on Friday showed that the economy added 272,000 jobs last month. That is more than expected. Hourly wages also rose in May, gaining 4.1 percent from a year ago.

In the meantime, the unemployment rate ticked up to 4 percent, a level not seen since early 2022. Economists say the relatively strong report will likely give the U.S. Federal Reserve further reason to hold off on cutting interest rates for now. And, on Wall Street today, stocks slipped on the heels of those job numbers.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 87 points to close just under 38,800. The Nasdaq fell nearly 40 points. The S&P 500 finished down nearly six points.

And Pat Sajak's turn as the host of "Wheel of Fortune" is coming to an end. His final episode airs tonight, after 41 years at the helm. The 77-year-old has been a fixture on our television screens through seven presidents and the rise of streaming TV. Through it all, Sajak has coolly walked contestants through the hangman-style game, with longtime partner Vanna White turning the letters.

He will be replaced by TV personality Ryan Seacrest, who makes his debut in September.

On behalf of countless fans across America, I'd just like to say, Pat, I'd like to buy a vowel.