Israeli attacks: Israel has staged a number of targeted attacks on parts of Rafah in Gaza, but has not yet begun the full-scale invasion of the refugee city that it has threatened. Israeli tanks took over a key crossing point from Egypt into Gaza. Israel says leaders of Hamas remain in Rafah and it is selectively targeting them. Hamas says it will accept a cease-fire proposal while Israel says that the proposal is inadequate. Israel was scheduled to send a team of negotiators back to Cairo today to join in new negotiations.
Starliner: The launch of Starliner, the Boeing spacecraft that was supposed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, was called off last night when a problem with a valve surfaced. The two astronauts were on board the spacecraft when the problem arose with a valve on the Atlas V rocket that was to carry the capsule aloft. The Starliner, built by Boeing for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has run into various delays and cost overruns. They hope to be able to carry out the launch tonight.
Airplane inspections: The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing employees falsified inspection records for Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes. The FAA said that Boeing alerted it late last month that the airplanes may not have had proper inspections to make sure that the places where wings are connected to the fuselage were properly bonded so they could handle lightning strikes. Boeing said it learned that paperwork showed the inspections were done when, in fact, they had not been done.
Alleged Russian plot: Ukraine’s government security service said today that it uncovered a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. It said that the plot was being put together by a network of Russian agents. It said they planned to kidnap Zelenskyy and then kill him. The Ukrainians said two Ukrainians have been taken into custody on charges of leaking classified information to Russia. The Ukrainians said that in addition to Zelenskyy, other high-ranking Ukrainian officials were being targeted for assassination.
Stormy Daniels: Donald Trump complained this morning that he and his attorneys did not get adequate notice that porn star Stormy Daniels was going to testify today in his Manhattan hush money trial. Prosecutors in the case have provided only limited advance notice to the defense of which witnesses would be called because of Trump’s past efforts to intimidate witnesses in the case. Trump is under a gag order from Judge Juan Merchan that prohibits him from witness and jury intimidation. Trump quickly took down an internet post he made this morning about Stormy Daniels taking the witness stand.
Right to travel: U.S. District Court Judge Myron Thompson has issued a preliminary ruling against Alabama’s Attorney General prosecuting people who help women travel out of Alabama to states where abortions are legal so they can avail themselves of medical services. Thompson said that the U.S. Constitution protects the right of citizens to travel. The judge ruled that Alabama can no more restrict the rights of people to travel to a state such as California to do whatever is legal in California than can California prosecute people for traveling to Alabama to do whatever is legal there.
