News Wrap: Rubio meets with NATO allies amid troop level confusion

William Brangham:

In Sweden, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with NATO allies amid confusion over recent U.S. statements on troop levels in Europe.

Rubio told the gathering of foreign ministers that the U.S. remains committed to the military alliance, but that the presence of American forces depends on what the allies themselves contribute to NATO.

Yesterday, President Trump said the U.S. would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, citing his ties to that country's new president. But earlier this month, the president said he would withdraw 5,000 from Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran had -- quote -- "humiliated" the U.S.

Today, Rubio insisted that such decisions are -- quote -- "not political."

Marco Rubio:

I think it's well understood in the alliance that the United States' troop presence in Europe is going to be adjusted. This is not a decision that was made on the back of a napkin. I mean, this has been an ongoing process.

William Brangham:

This troop change-up comes amid a growing rift in the military alliance, with tensions simmering over the Iran war, the question of America's commitment to Ukraine, and the president's threats to seize Greenland.

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are banning funeral wakes and large gatherings to try and slow the Ebola outbreak there. Health workers are struggling to keep up with rising cases amid public anger over the handling of the crisis.

Today in Geneva, the World Health Organization raised its assessment of the threat, saying it now poses a very high risk to the area. Officials say there are now at least 750 suspected cases and more than 170 suspected deaths.

Neighboring Rwanda has shut border crossings to the DRC to prevent the spread of the virus, which is putting a strain on locals.

Wema Furaha (through interpreter):

Our work is here at the border. When it is closed, we are all stranded. It is this work that sends our children to school, provides us with a home, gives us a livelihood.

William Brangham:

And a hospital in Berlin released this image, the child of an American Ebola patient looking at their father through a window. The hospital says the man is not critically ill, and his wife and four children have all tested negative.

A judge in Tennessee dismissed the human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia today. He was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last year, and then returned after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to do so. Criminal charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop followed, which the judge said today amounted to -- quote -- "selective or vindictive prosecution."

Thousands of Cubans gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana this morning to protest the Trump administration's indictment of former President Raul Castro. They waved flags and chanted during the nearly hour-long pro-government demonstration.

Cuba's president and prime minister attended the rally, as did several others from Castro's own family. The 94-year-old was indicted this week on murder charges over the downing of two civilian airplanes back in the 1990s. Cuba's government says the charges are just a pretext for future U.S. military action.

In Washington, the U.S. Federal Reserve officially has a new chairman.

Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve Chairman:

So help me God.

(Applause)

William Brangham:

Kevin Warsh was sworn in today by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House.

During the ceremony, President Trump said he wants Warsh to be, in his words, totally independent, despite his aggressive attempts to get the prior chair, Jerome Powell, to cut interest rates.

In his own remarks, Warsh pledged to -- quote -- lead a reform-oriented Federal Reserve."

Kevin Warsh:

Our mandate at the Fed is to promote price stability and maximum employment. When we pursue those aims with wisdom and clarity, independence and resolve, inflation can be lower, growth stronger, real take-home pay higher, and America can be more prosperous.

William Brangham:

Warsh steps into this role at a difficult time for the Fed. Inflation is on the rise due to the war in Iran. And officials at the Central Bank are now considering the possibility of raising interest rates, rather than cutting them, as the president would prefer.

On Wall Street today, stocks posted decent gains to close out the week. The Dow Jones industrial average added nearly 300 points, or more than half-a-percent. The Nasdaq rose about 50 points. The S&P 500 closed out its eighth straight winning week.

Six-point-seven million viewers tuned in last night to watch Stephen Colbert's final episode of "The Late Show." That's according to preliminary Nielsen data. And it's about triple his usual audience this season. Colbert was joined by Sir Paul McCartney, among others, as he signed off after 11 seasons and more than 1,800 episodes.

CBS announced it was ending the show last year, citing financial reasons. President Trump had long criticized Colbert and called on CBS' new corporate owners to fire him.

And another CBS mainstay is coming to an end. CBS News Radio is shutting down tonight after nearly a century on the air. The storied service started in 1927 and gave rise to such icons as Douglas Edwards, Walter Cronkite, and Edward R. Murrow.

Together, they and their colleagues brought history into our homes.

Edward R. Murrow, Former CBS News Anchor:

Murder had been done at Buchenwald.

William Brangham:

From the liberation of the Nazi camps in Germany...

Dan Rather, Former CBS News Anchor:

There are many people in Dallas who sincerely and literally still have a very difficult time believing what happened here today.

William Brangham:

To the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Allison Keyes, CBS News:

It looks like a nuclear war happened here. You can't see the sky at all. It's all gray smoke.

William Brangham:

To the deadliest attack on American soil, 9/11.

The company announced the closure in March, blaming what it called challenging economic realities.

So, to borrow Mr. Murrow's famous phrase, we wish everyone at CBS News Radio one final. good night and good luck.