Amna Nawaz:
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, officials say the latest round of Russian missiles killed at least five civilians. This comes as the Kremlin released footage of President Putin visiting the Western Russian region of Kursk. It was his first visit there since Ukrainian forces seized some territory in the area. Putin said Russian forces should be able to kick the Ukrainians out in the near future.
In Pakistan, a standoff between the military and insurgents who hijacked a passenger train finally ended today in bloodshed. It happened in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, claimed responsibility. They released a video of the attack seen here as still images. Officials say at least 21 hostages were killed, along with three Pakistani soldiers.
Security forces say they rescued hundreds of remaining passengers and killed all 33 assailants. Survivors were treated at a train station which had been turned into a makeshift hospital.
A pro-independence party is celebrating a surprise win in Greenland’s parliamentary elections. The opposition Demokraatit Party benefited from high voter turnout amid President Trump’s stated goal of taking control of the Arctic island. The party’s chairman told reporters last night that he hopes the results send — quote — “a clear message to him that we are not for sale.”
Greenland is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. It holds large reserves of rare earth minerals and is strategically located in the North Atlantic.
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency is moving to roll back dozens of environmental regulations. In an essay in The Wall Street Journal today, Administrator Lee Zeldin said 31 environmental rules would be affected. They include regulations on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles.
That includes the agency’s own finding in 2009 that greenhouse gases threaten public health. Zeldin says his actions will eliminate trillions of dollars in regulatory costs. One climate scientist called it — quote — “just the latest form of Republican climate denial.”
New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen said today that she will not seek reelection next year. In a video posted on social media, the 78-year-old Democrat called it a — quote — “difficult decision.” Shaheen made history as the first woman elected as both governor and senator. Her decision is a blow to Democrats, already facing a difficult path to a win a Senate majority.
But a Democratic Party spokesman said today Republicans haven’t won a New Hampshire Senate race in more than a decade, and they’re confident that trend will continue.
And on Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed after cooler inflation data offset the latest worries about President Trump’s tariffs. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped about 80 points, but the Nasdaq added more than 200 points after steep sell-offs in recent days. The S&P 500 also ended in positive territory.
And NASA has launched two missions aboard one rocket in the latest effort to explore the sun and the stars. SPHEREx and PUNCH hitched a ride aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California late last night. SPHEREx is NASA’s latest telescope it looks like a giant megaphone and will create a sweeping view of hundreds of millions of galaxies.
Scientists are hoping for clues into how the universe expanded from its very first moments. And the four satellites that make up PUNCH will be the first to study solar winds in 3-D.
Still to come on the “news hour”: Judy Woodruff visits a California town attempting to reverse its fortunes after decades of decline; and two Native American artists discuss the complexities, what it means to be First People.
