News Wrap: U.S. military finishes work on floating pier to deliver aid to Gaza

Amna Nawaz:

The U.S. military finished work on a floating pier off the Gaza Strip today. Officials say at least 500 tons of food will begin arriving onshore in the coming days. The aid is vital to helping the hundreds of thousands of Gazans who are at risk of famine.

Meanwhile, South Africa is asking the top U.N. court to impose new emergency measures on Israel to stop its military operation in Rafah. South Africa has accused Israel of genocide and says the war is at a — quote — "new and horrific stage."

Vaughan Lowe, Attorney For South Africa:

The key point today is that Israel's declared aim of wiping Gaza from the map is about to be realized. Further, evidence of appalling crimes and atrocities is literally being destroyed and bulldozed.

Amna Nawaz:

In response, Israel's Foreign Ministry said today that South Africa was presenting biased and false claims and called on the International Court of Justice to reject the appeal.

Here in the U.S., the House of Representatives passed a measure this afternoon that seeks to force the transfer of bombs to Israel. The bill passed by a vote of 224 to 187. Republicans drafted the legislation as a challenge to President Biden's plan to withhold a shipment of 3,500 bombs. That was meant to discourage Israel from further military action in the Gazan city of Rafah. The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, and the White House has said it would veto any such measure.

In Slovakia, authorities confirmed today that the man charged with shooting populist Prime Minister Robert Fico acted alone. They say the suspect, seen in the cap in this video, had previously participated in anti-government protests and became radicalized after the last election.

Slovakia's interior minister described him as a lone wolf.

Matus Sutaj Estok, Slovakian Interior Minister (through interpreter):

I want to affirm that, today, the police are working with only one version of the attack, that the perpetrator is currently charged with the premeditated crime of attempted murder, and that we are working with only one version, that it was a politically motivated act.

Amna Nawaz:

The hospital treating Fico says he's in very serious, but stable condition. The prime minister is considered a divisive figure in Slovakia and abroad because of his pro-Russian and anti-American positions.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a conservative-led attempt to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today. The justices ruled 7-2 that the way the CFPB is funded does not violate the Constitution. Unlike most federal agencies, the bureau gets its money from the Federal Reserve, rather than a congressional budget process.

Writing the majority opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said the system — quote — "fits comfortably with the First Congress' appropriations practice."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has pardoned a former U.S. Army sergeant who had been convicted of fatally shooting a protester during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020. The announcement came just minutes after Texas parole officials announced they were recommending a pardon for Daniel Perry. He was convicted last year and sentenced to 25 years in prison for the death of Garrett Foster.

Abbott had previously ordered the parole board to review Perry's case.

The Justice Department began the formal process today to declassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Biden administration wants to move cannabis from being a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD, to Schedule III, which includes ketamine and some anabolic steroids.

The president called it — quote — "an important move toward reversing longstanding inequities." The plan is subject to a 60-day public comment period and a possible judicial review. It also does not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

Senator Bob Menendez announced today that his wife, Nadine Menendez, has breast cancer and will require a mastectomy. The announcement comes during the first week of the New Jersey Democrat's bribery trial in New York. His wife was also charged in the case, but her trial was postponed. They have been charged with accepting bribes in exchange for using his position to help foreign governments. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The leaders of China and Russia reaffirmed their no-limits partnership in Beijing today. In Tiananmen Square, President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin at the start of their two-day summit. China is one of Russia's closest allies, as both nations face deepening tensions with the West.

Vladimir Putin, Russian President (through interpreter):

Russia and China are truly united by the common goals of national development and ensuring joint prosperity on the principles of mutual respect, good neighborliness and mutual benefit.

Amna Nawaz:

The two leaders then signed a joint statement ushering in what they called a new era of partnership. That includes a shared opposition to the United States on a range of security issues. Mr. Putin also thanked his host for his proposals on ending the war in Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected those suggestions. They say Xi's stance largely follows the Kremlin line.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones industrial average briefly topped 40000 for the first time ever. But, by the end of the day, the index had retreated, slipping 38 points to close at 39869. The Nasdaq dropped 44 points, and the S&P 500 gave back 11.

And a sculpture of the late Reverend Billy Graham, one of the most powerful Christian evangelists in American history, now resides in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall. Prominent Republicans joined Graham's family today to unveil his bronze 7′-tall likeness. Graham died in 2018 at the age of 99.