Geoff Bennett:
In East Jerusalem, outside of UNRWA’s headquarters, far right Israeli activists celebrated with champagne toasts. In October, Israel banned UNRWA from operating inside the country, saying the group had been infiltrated by Hamas, which it denies.
Humanitarian officials say the move could have a devastating impact on aid deliveries in the region. A U.N. spokesperson says UNRWA was still delivering aid today, despite the ban.
Officials in Ukraine say a Russian drone attack killed at least six people in the northeastern city of Sumy overnight. Nine others were injured. Regional authorities say a drone slammed into an apartment building, blowing out a wall and windows. Following the deaths, the city announced two days of mourning. Ukraine’s air force says Russia launched more than 80 drones overnight, but most were shot down or otherwise missed their targets.
Back in this country, a U.S. appeals court ruled today that a decades-old federal ban on handgun sales to adults under the age of 21 violates the Second Amendment. The court found that the ban is inconsistent with the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that established a more conservative test for assessing firearm laws. The original measure was adopted by Congress back in 1968. Today’s ruling comes from the same court that had upheld the ban as recently as 2012.
On Wall Street today, stocks posted modest gains after the latest reading on America’s GDP showed solid gains last quarter. The Dow Jones industrial average added nearly 170 points on the day. The Nasdaq tacked on about 50 points. The S&P 500 also ended in positive territory.
NASA’s two stuck astronauts were able to stretch their legs a bit, taking their first space walk together.
