News Wrap: First phase of Israel-Hamas ceasefire ends as talks for phase two stall

John Yang:

Today's other news, phase one of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire ended today and talks about phase two of all but disappeared. U.S. And Israeli negotiators are in Cairo with Egyptian and Qatari mediators who are representing Hamas, but no progress has been reported.

What's next isn't clear. Phase two is supposed to include the release of more Israeli hostages and the ceasefire is to continue during phase two negotiations. In phase one, Hamas released 33 hostages in exchange for more than 1,700 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. It's estimated that 59 hostages remain in Gaza, half of them likely dead.

A federal court judge extended an order blocking President Trump's plans to pull federal funding from institutions that provide care for transgender youth. The judge said two of the president's executive orders are unconstitutional because they treat people differently based on their transgender status. It's a setback for the administration's efforts to limit official recognition of transgender people.

Three years after resigning in scandal, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is trying for a comeback. As was widely anticipated, Cuomo said today he's running to be New York City mayor. In a video announcement, he promised to guide the city out of social and political turmoil and lower crime. He briefly acknowledged past mistakes.

In 2021, he resigned after a number of allegations of sexual harassment. The Democratic primary is in June.

The Vatican says Pope Francis is improving after a breathing crisis. Yesterday, they say the pontiff drank coffee and read newspapers during breakfast. The Vatican also said Francis spent several hours today off of a noninvasive ventilator, a sign his lung function is improving. He was put on the ventilator after a coughing fit led him to inhale vomit.

Today, health care workers at the Rome hospital where the Pope has spent more than two weeks with double pneumonia, made a pilgrimage to St. Peter's Basilica to pray for the 88 year old pontiff.

And David Johansson, the frontman and last surviving member of the 1970s band the New York Dolls, has died. The glam rock group was the forerunner of punk, made a big cultural impact, but was never commercially successful. Johansson's greatest commercial success came in a solo career as his lounge lizard alter ego Buster Poindexter. David Johansson was 75 years old.