News Wrap: Israeli officials say Netanyahu has dissolved war cabinet

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• Amna Nawaz:

  Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his war cabinet. The body was formed in a show of unity after the October 7 Hamas attacks to make key decisions about the fighting in Gaza. But last week, centrist member Benny Gantz resigned in protest of Netanyahu's handling of the war.

  Officials say the prime minister will now rely more on his security cabinet, which includes some far right members who oppose a cease-fire deal.

  At the U.S. State Department today, spokesman Matthew Miller said the shift will not affect U.S. relations with Israel.

  Matthew Miller , State Department Spokesman: We have made clear when they take actions that we disagree with. We have made that clear publicly, and I can tell you we have had some very direct conversations privately as well with the senior members of the government of Israel about those policies that we think are unproductive, not only to the plight of the Palestinian people, but to Israel's security.

• Amna Nawaz:

  On the ground in Gaza, Israel engaged in its first daily tactical pause along a seven-mile road, starting at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in Southern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces announced the pause on Sunday. It's meant to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where experts mourn that a famine looms. Video today showed truckloads of supplies driving through the crossing, but Israel says the U.N., which is responsible for distributing aid inside Gaza, has — quote — "yet to take full advantage of the protected road."

  More than 20 countries in the NATO alliance will hit their defense spending targets this year, a new record. That's according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who's visiting Washington this week. It comes as Russia's war in Ukraine looms large over much of Europe. Only six nations met this same goal just three years ago, before Russia invaded.

  Meeting today with President Joe Biden, Stoltenberg spoke of the high stakes next month, when NATO leaders will gather in Washington.

• Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General:

  I think it's important to understand that the stronger our support for Ukraine is, the sooner this war can end, because the sooner President Putin will realize that we cannot wait us out.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Some NATO members are concerned about a potential Trump reelection in November. The former president has characterized NATO countries as freeloading on U.S. military spending. He's vowed not to defend any members that fall short of defense spending targets.

  Maryland Governor Wes Moore issued more than 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions today. His office says it is the biggest such action ever taken at the state level. With the stroke of a pen and a smile, Moore signed the executive order to forgive low-level charges for cannabis and paraphernalia possession.

  Maryland legalized recreational marijuana last year, and Moore says it's a chance to right historical wrongs.

• Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD):

  When it comes to cannabis, rolling out one of the best and most equitable legal markets in the country is incredibly important. But that rollout must go hand in hand with pardoning past conduct. And Maryland is going to lead by example.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Black Americans are more than three times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as white Americans, according to the ACLU.

  It's going to be dangerously hot for much of the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Northeast this week. Already, more than 70 million people were under extreme heat alerts today. And the National Weather Service estimates that more than 260 million Americans will experience temperatures above 90 degrees this week. Some of those could be record highs, including in New York City.

  Eric Adams (D), Mayor of New York: We want to be clear. This is extremely hot for June, and New Yorkers should not underestimate the heat. With climate change leading to more frequent and intense heat, our summers are different than they were before.

• Amna Nawaz:

  The heat has fueled severe Midwest storms, leading to scenes like this in Western Michigan, where a trampoline was tossed in the air.

  And it's created tinderbox conditions out West. In California, firefighters are working to contain the Post Fire, which has burned 24 square miles north of Los Angeles. Firefighters are battling another blaze in Northern California's Sonoma Wine Country. It was 20 percent surrounded today after burning nearly two square miles.

  A federal judge has temporarily halted a Biden administration rule expanding Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students in six additional states. The preliminary injunction applies to Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Last week, a different judge blocked the rule in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho.

  At least 20 Republican-led states have been fighting the measure, which is due to take effect in August. It would expand civil rights protections, expand the definition of sexual harassment at schools and colleges, and add safeguards for victims.

  On Wall Street today, stocks started the week on solid footing, thanks to further gains in the tech sector. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 188 points to close over 38000. The Nasdaq hit its sixth straight record, adding 168 points. The S&P 500 ended at a new high.

  And this year's Tony Awards are in the books with Broadway veterans and newcomers alike taking home theaters' biggest prizes. In case you missed it, "The Outsiders," an adaptation of S.E. Hinton's classic novel, won best new musical. "Stereophonic," about a 1970s rock band, won best new play. Longtime Broadway star Jonathan Groff scored his first ever Tony for best actor in the musical "Merrily We Roll Along."

  And 21-year-old Maleah Joi Moon was crowned for her leading role in "Hell's Kitchen." And in a surprise appearance, Hillary Clinton got a standing ovation as she presented a musical number from the show "Suffs," which she co-produced.