Hostage release: CNN quotes diplomatic sources as saying that Israel has agreed to an exchange of 700 Palestinians held prisoner by Israel for 40 of the hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Hamas had not agreed to the swap as of Monday morning. The exchange had been proposed by U.S. CIA Director Bill Burns in the hope it would lead to further negotiations for a cease-fire and additional hostage release. It’s believed that Hamas still holds about 100 hostages.
Boeing changes: As a result of the incidents involving Boeing airliners, and the FAA audit that discovered manufacturing safety issues, a number of changes are taking place in Boeing’s executive ranks. CEO Dave Calhoun said today that he intends to step down by the end of the year. The chairman of Boeing’s Board of Directors, Larry Kellner, plans to leave the board. Stan Deal, CEO of the Boeing Commercial Airplanes division has stepped down and is being replaced by COO Stephanie Pope.
Guilty pleas: Four suspects in the mass shooting and firebombing of a concert hall just outside of Moscow were in court today and three pleaded guilty to all charges according to TASS, the Russian news agency. The death toll from the attack rose to 137. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. An estimated 6,000 people were in the concert hall attending a rock concert at the time of the attack.
NBC News: NBC’s Chuck Todd, who used to be moderator of “Meet the Press,” was on “Meet the Press” yesterday and blasted NBC News for hiring ousted Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel. McDaniel was pushed out of the RNC by Donald Trump. Todd said that a number of journalists at NBC News are upset at her hiring because of her lack of truthfulness in dealing with the news media and use of character assassination during her tenure at the RNC.
Justice age limit: Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on NBC’s “Meet the Press” yesterday said that it is possible that the high court could reverse itself and reinstate Roe v. Wade. He didn’t specify how that might occur. Breyer also said that he does not believe it was one of the justices who leaked the draft version of the Roe v. Wade decision. Breyer said he’d support an age limit or length-of-term limit for Supreme Court justices.
Abortion pill: The Supreme Court tomorrow hears oral arguments in a case in which the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans agreed with a lower court that the Food and Drug Administration should not have increased the availability of the abortion drug Mifepristone. If the Supreme Court rules that the FDA made a mistake and availability of the drug should be restricted, it would have a dramatic impact on women’s health care. Mifepristone is used in approximately two-thirds of the abortions in the U.S. each year.
