News Wrap: NASA optimistic ahead of Artemis II reentry

Amna Nawaz:

NASA scientists say they're feeling optimistic as final preparations are under way for the return of the Artemis II astronauts tomorrow.

Reentry into Earth's atmosphere is one of the most dangerous parts of the mission. Their Orion capsule is set to hit speeds of nearly 24,000 miles per hour. At a press conference today, officials said they had -- quote -- high confidence" that all will go smoothly.

Amit Kshatriya, NASA Associate Administrator:

Tomorrow, the crew is going to put their lives behind that confidence. Until then, the flight control team, the engineering team, the recovery forces in the Pacific, to every engineer, every technician that's touched this machine, tomorrow belongs to you. The crew has done their part. Now we have to do ours.

Amna Nawaz:

NASA also released new photos today showing the astronauts at work during their journey around the moon. They're expected to splash down on Friday evening off the coast of San Diego.

The Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether the NFL used anticompetitive tactics in its media rights deals. That's according to several news outlets and was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Fans, regulators and members of Congress have voiced concerns in recent months over the cost of watching games now that they're offered across various broadcasts, cable and streaming platforms.

In a statement, the league defended its practices, saying that -- quote -- "With over 87 percent of our games on free broadcast television, the NFL has for decades put our fans front and center."

The U.K. and Norway said today they foiled a covert Russian submarine operation to potentially sabotage undersea cables in the North Atlantic. Britain's Defense Minister John Healey told reporters that military operation lasted more than a month and involved a Royal Navy frigate, aircraft and hundreds of personnel.

He said the Russian vessels eventually left with no evidence of any damage to cables or pipes. At one point, Healey addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin directly.

John Healy:

We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines. And you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.

Amna Nawaz:

Russia has dismissed previous claims of sabotage. Undersea cables are crucial for electricity, Internet and global communications, especially for the U.K. More than 90 percent of its day-to-day Internet traffic travels through such cables.

Back here, the nation's fertility rate fell to another record low last year. That's according to provisional data out today from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were just over 53 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age in 2025. That is down from nearly 54 births the year before and continues a trend that dates back to 2007.

The overall number of babies born in the U.S. last year also slipped to around 3.6 million. One factor driving the decline has been lower birth rates for teens and women in their 20s.

Emperor penguins are now considered an endangered species, as climate change threatens their natural habitat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature cited a decline in sea ice for its change of status of the world's largest and most recognizable penguin species.

Emperor penguins rely on this ice to live, hunt and breed. Scientists warn that, without major cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, emperor penguin numbers could be cut in half by the end of this century. The group also added the Antarctic fur seal to its endangered species list, as rising ocean temperatures affect its food sources.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended higher amid cautious hopes for a lasting cease-fire in Iran. The Dow Jones industrial average added 275 points on the day. The Nasdaq rose nearly 200 points, or almost 1 percent. The S&P 500 also ended firmly in positive territory.

And K-pop supergroup BTS kicked off its reunion world tour today after a nearly four-year hiatus. Tens of thousands of fans from all over the world braved the rain at today's kickoff performance near Seoul. The downpours didn't dampen the mood for its army of fans, as they're known, and the band didn't disappoint with a set list of more than 20 songs.

BTS burst back on the scene with a massive one-off concert last month in Seoul. All seven members had recently completed South Korea's mandatory military service. They head next to Tokyo before bringing their tour here to North America.