News Wrap: At least 25 people seeking help killed at Gaza aid sites

Amna Nawaz:

We start the day's other headlines in the Middle East.

Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli gunfire killed at least 25 people seeking aid across three separate aid distribution sites. Two of the centers are operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which insisted today there were no incidents at or near their sites.

In the meantime, Palestinians in Gaza's city mourned their loved ones following the latest round of Israeli strikes. Family members say nowhere is safe.

Mohammed Abu Daf, Gaza City Resident (through interpreter):

My cousin's house was targeted while they were sleeping at 3:00 in the morning, sleeping in peace. Where do people go? Where do people go, Arabs and Muslims? Now all of Gaza is targeted.

Amna Nawaz:

The latest strikes come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will — quote — "allow" Palestinians to leave areas like Gaza City that are being targeted by Israel's military. But he insists they are not being pushed out.

Wildfires raging across Europe have now killed at least three people across Albania, Spain and Turkey. In Greece, a blaze burning near Patras has torn through homes, orchards and prompted evacuations of dozens of towns. Firefighters say they're losing the battle to protect the perimeter of the country's third largest city.

Giorgos Karavanis, Firefighter (through interpreter):

What does it look like? It looks like doomsday. We came from Athens with our volunteer association, but we can't do anything more. May God help us and help the people here.

Amna Nawaz:

Meantime, in Spain, thousands have been displaced by fires north of Madrid. The country's Interior Ministry says they're asking Spain's European partners for help. Officials across the Mediterranean regions say firefighting resources are being stretched thin after weeks of scorching heat.

Authorities in Tennessee say at least three people were and one other remains missing after downpours flooded parts of the state. Meteorologists tracked nearly seven inches of rain in the Chattanooga area yesterday, the second wettest single day in nearly 150 years. Officials say that a mother, a father and their child all died when a tree uprooted in the wet soil and fell on their car.

Rescuers are also searching for a man who was last seen walking through a flooded road. Forecasters are warning of more flash flooding across Central and Eastern Tennessee tonight.

A federal appeals court is allowing the Trump administration to move forward with billions of dollars in cuts to foreign aid. At issue is funding that includes nearly $4 billion for USAID to spend on global health programs and more than $6 billion for HIV and aides programs.

By a 2-1 vote, the judges found that the aid groups that had challenged the cuts lack the legal right to do so, but they did not weigh in on whether the government's cuts had infringed on the spending powers of Congress.

More Americans appear to be heeding warnings about the health risks of alcohol. According to a new Gallup poll, just 54 percent of adults say that they drink. That is an all-time low. And a record 53 percent say moderate drinking, or one or two drinks a day, is bad for their health. That's compared to 28 percent a decade ago. The shift is driven largely by young adults.

Moderate drinking like having red wine at dinner was once thought to be good for your heart, but evidence now shows even moderate drinking leads to negative health outcomes and is a leading cause of cancer.

On Wall Street today, stocks moved higher as hopes for interest rate cuts gather steam. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 460 points. The Nasdaq posted a more modest gain of about 30 points. The S&P 500 also ended in positive territory.

And President Trump today announced the first class of Kennedy Center honorees since he took over as chairman. Country music star George Strait, film icon Sylvester Stallone, Broadway actor Michael Crawford, disco queen Gloria Gaynor, and the rock band Kiss will all be honored.

The president said he had an active role in the selection.

Donald Trump, President of the United States: I would say I was about 98 percent involved. No, they all went through me. They came over.

Amna Nawaz:

Trump also said he plans to host the awards program, a first for a sitting president, and he wants to — quote — "fully renovate" the site to make it a crown jewel of arts and culture in the U.S.

In February, Trump fired long-term staff and took over as chairman of the Kennedy Center, filling its board with loyal supporters.