News Wrap: Senate on track to confirm Mullin as DHS secretary

Geoff Bennett:

The day's other headlines also start on Capitol Hill, where the Senate is set to vote tonight on Markwayne Mullin's confirmation to be homeland security secretary.

The numbers are in his favor, putting him on track to replace Kristi Noem, who was fired amid public backlash over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations. Senators advanced Mullin's nomination over the weekend with support from two Democrats.

The Republican senator from Oklahoma has long backed President Trump's immigration agenda. But at his confirmation hearing last week, he vowed to keep the department off the front page of the news.

Law enforcement officials in London are investigating an apparent arson attack as an antisemitic hate crime. Four ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer organization were set on fire overnight. Multiple oxygen cylinders on the ambulances exploded, shattering nearby apartment windows and leaving behind only the vehicle's charred remains.

The North London neighborhood where the incident occurred has a large Jewish population. No one was injured. Police say they are looking for three suspects, but have not made any arrests yet. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters such an attack has no place in their society.

Keir Starmer, British Prime Minister:

Well, this is a horrific antisemitic attack. And, of course, my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts will be with those in the vicinity, the residents who are understandably very concerned, a Jewish community across the country deeply concerned.

Geoff Bennett:

Advocacy groups say nearly 4,000 antisemitic incidents were reported in the U.K. last year. That's more than double the amount back in 2022 before Hamas' attack on Israel.

In Cuba, officials say power is slowly being restored after the country's electric grid collapsed again this past weekend. It's the island's third blackout this month amid an ongoing U.S. oil blockade. In Havana, it's now routine for people to try to take advantage of the daylight, but by nightfall, with much of the city pitch black, many residents say they're just trying to survive.

Maikel Pena, Havana Resident (through interpreter):

Now, with these blackouts, the little food people have spoils, and you don't know what to do anymore. You don't know if you can buy food for a month or for a week or for a day, because you never know when the electricity will go out. One minute, everything is lit up. And, the next minute, everything goes down.

Geoff Bennett:

Cuba only produces 40 percent of the fuel it needs to power its economy. The country's president says the island hasn't gotten oil from much-needed foreign suppliers for three months.

A statue of Christopher Columbus was quietly installed this weekend on the White House grounds. The replica statue of the explorer now stands outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House itself. The original was toppled and tossed into Baltimore's Inner Harbor during the 2020 racial justice protests following the death of George Floyd.

Other statues of Columbus were taken down at the height of those protests for his role in colonization. The White House has called Columbus a hero.

Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin scored his 1,000th career NHL goal in a loss yesterday to the Colorado Avalanche. His teammates swarmed him as he reached the milestone in the game's third period. Ovechkin joins Wayne Gretzky as the only players to reach 1,000 goals when combining the regular season and the playoffs. Gretzky finished his NHL career with 1,016. Ovechkin is not far behind.

The Great 8 already broke Gretzky's previous regular season record of 894 goals last year.

And stocks rallied today on the news that President Trump would defer strikes on Iran to allow for negotiations. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 631 points, or more than a percent. The Nasdaq made the exact same gain of 1.38 percent. And the S&P 500 also ended more than a percent higher.