News Wrap: Netanyahu faces new pressure from within his war cabinet

Amna Nawaz:

In the day's other news: Israel's prime minister is facing new pressure from within his own ranks.

The national unity party of Benny Gantz, who sits on Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, said today that one of its lawmakers filed a motion to dissolve Parliament. In a statement, the party said — quote — "Netanyahu, it's not too late to come to your senses. Either together, we are victorious, or you continue alone with the method of divide and rule."

The move follows an ultimatum that Gantz issued in May demanding that Netanyahu lay out a postwar plan for Gaza by June 8. Back here, the U.S. State Department today renewed its own calls for a plan.

Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy State Department Spokesperson:

It is imperative that our partners in Israel have a vision for what the day after this conflict is going to look like and steps are taken to do whatever we can to help get the region out of this endless cycle of violence.

Amna Nawaz:

In the meantime, Slovenia's government endorsed a plan to recognize the Palestinian state today. It requires approval by the country's Parliament to take effect. That comes just two days after Spain, Norway and Ireland officially recognized the Palestinian state, which Israel has condemned.

Police in Detroit dismantled a pro-Palestinian encampment at Wayne State University this morning. Officers arrested at least 12 people after organizers refused to leave and declined offers to meet with university officials. The university's president cited health and safety concerns and disruption to campus operations as justifications for the crackdown.

The U.K. has joined the European Union and human rights groups in criticizing the conviction of 14 democracy activists in Hong Kong. They are among 47 people charged under a 2020 national security law that was drafted by China.

Several of the activists were seen entering court ahead of the ruling. They were convicted of conspiracy to commit subversion for their involvement in an unofficial primary election in 2020.

Britain's minister for the Indo-Pacific said today that the verdict — quote — "sends a message that Hong Kongers can no longer safely and meaningfully participate in peaceful political debate." The convicted face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Boeing officials spent three hours today presenting the Federal Aviation Administration with steps they will take to address safety and quality issues. The FAA gave Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan after a door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Since then, company whistle-blowers have raised concerns about Boeing's safety culture.

The plan has not been made public, but the FAA administrator said today that it checks his agency's boxes.

Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration:

What we were looking for was a plan that's comprehensive, that's detailed, and that deals with the things we know need to be addressed, like quality management, a more robust safety management system, an environment where employees feel that they can speak up and raise safety issues, and better manufacturing processes.

And those are all elements of the plan.

Amna Nawaz:

The FAA said it will not yet allow Boeing to increase production of its best-selling 737 MAX jets. The company was ordered to slow down output after the incident in January.

The Supreme Court sided with the National Rifle Association today in a case involving First Amendment rights. In a unanimous ruling, the justices said that the NRA can sue a former New York official who encouraged companies to stop doing business with the NRA after the 2018 Parkland school shooting.

In her opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that — quote — "Ultimately, the critical takeaway is that the First Amendment prohibits government officials from wielding their power selectively to punish or suppress speech."

However, she added that the ruling does not shield the NRA and others from regulation.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has declined an invitation to meet with Senate Democrats to discuss flags flown outside Justice Alito's homes. His response came in a letter in which he said that — quote — "Participating in such a meeting would be inadvisable."

Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse had asked for the meeting. They want Alito to recuse himself from any cases involving the January 6 attack or the 2020 election after The New York Times reported two instances in which flags associated with insurrectionists were flown at Alito's houses.

The U.S. economy grew less than previously thought in the first quarter of the year. New Commerce Department data shows that U.S. GDP expanded at an annual rate of 1.3 percent from January to March. That is down from an initial reading of 1.6 percent. That's also the weakest quarterly growth since the spring of 2022. Consumer spending also grew at a slower pace, at just 2 percent for the quarter, amid high interest rates and lingering inflation.

And on Wall Street, stocks fell as investors digested that economic data. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 330 points to close at 38111. The Nasdaq fell 183 points, or more than 1 percent. The S&P 500 gave back 31 points.