In our news wrap Thursday, a federal judge ordered that Kennedy Center officials provide a 30-day notice before making any significant physical changes to the building, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is welcoming a proposal that could see his country join the European Union as the bloc’s first associate member and NASA discovered a massive, new crater on the Moon.
Amna Nawaz:
We start the day’s other headlines in Washington, D.C., where a federal judge ordered that Kennedy Center officials provide 30 days’ notice before making any significant physical changes to the building. That includes demolishing the structure altogether.
Last night, President Trump told reporters that, unless his administration gets credit for saving the center — quote — “It’ll end up being ripped down.” The center was closed this week amid an ongoing legal dispute over adding President Trump’s name to the building.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is welcoming a proposal that could see his country join the European Union as the bloc’s first associate member. In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, today, Carney said Canada is seeking deeper cooperation in areas like trade, defense, energy and more.
His speech comes amid a fraying of ties with the U.S., with an ongoing trade war and President Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st state. And while Carney insisted later that Canada is not seeking full E.U. membership, he said Europe and Canada are — quote — “stronger together.”
Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister:
We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so no one, no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.
Amna Nawaz:
President Trump called the E.U.’s proposal laughable, and he threatened serious tariffs or even to stop trading with the European Union altogether should he consider the potential Canada partnership a — quote — “hostile act.”
Turning now to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia says falling debris from an intercepted Iran-backed Houthi drone killed one person and injured three others. The country’s civil defense said it happened in the city of Taif. And footage showed extensive damage to buildings, cars, and roads.
In the meantime, U.N.-backed human rights experts say there are — quote — “reasonable grounds” to believe the U.S. has committed war crimes in Iran. The allegations focus on a pair of strikes that killed at least 178 civilians, including school children, in the southern city of Minab. The Trump administration has not accepted responsibility for the strikes.
Ukrainian authorities say Russian strikes on Kyiv and Odesa injured at least 26 people, including children. Explosions flashed across the Capitol’s buildings overnight. The attacks damaged several sites, including this school.
Also today, Ukraine’s president says its forces carried out drone strikes on an oil refinery northeast of Moscow. The exchange in attacks comes as the Kremlin criticized the passage last night by the U.S. Congress of a comprehensive Russian sanctions bill named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
Dmitry Peskov, Spokesman for Vladimir Putin (through interpreter): It falls under the category of unfriendly actions. And, of course, the imposition of any additional sanctions by the U.S. would certainly complicate efforts to find a peace settlement in Ukraine.
Amna Nawaz:
Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin has characterized the country’s parliamentary elections as a referendum on the war. Voting is now under way and goes through Sunday.
Human remains discovered in the Grand Canyon this week have been identified as the final hiker who went missing in last month’s flash floods. That’s according to the victim’s wife. Timothy Allen Smith had been on a backcountry trip with his friends Brent Rosenkranz and John Giusti, who also perished in the floods.
More than 80 people were rescued after heavy rain sent violent floodwaters barreling through the Phantom Ranch area. Many hiking trails and lodging areas remain closed, and crews are still working to restore the canyon’s water supply.
Scientists say NASA discovered a massive new crater on the moon that’s bigger than the Roman Colosseum. These images show the same area of the moon both before and after a meteor struck in early 2024. The findings were published this week in the journal “Science Advances.”
The hole stretches more than 700 feet across and 140 feet deep, making it the solar system’s largest known impact crater of recent times. Scientists estimate that such a large-scale event is estimated to occur only once every 132 years.
On Wall Street today, stocks recovered from some recent losses, as oil prices fell. The Dow Jones industrial average added more than 300 points. The Nasdaq jumped more than 1.5 percent. The S&P 500 also posted a strong gain.
And we have two passings tonight, starting with former Republican Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona. During his more than 25 years in Congress in both the House and Senate, Kyl was known for his work ethic and his political skills behind the scenes. He served as junior senator alongside Arizona’s John McCain and rose to be the party’s number two under then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
His signature legislation included Western water rights, and he helped to get Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. Last year, Kyl announced that he had dementia. He was 84 years old.
And artist Peter Max has died. His bold, psychedelic pop art reflected the Flower Power movement of the 1960s and made him one of the most successful artists of his time. Born in Berlin, Max came to the United States as a teenager after fleeing Nazi Germany with his family. He studied in New York, where he developed a bold, colorful style that he later brought to subjects as varied as the Statue of Liberty, U.S. presidents, and even Taylor Swift.
Max spoke to PBS in 2013 about his approach to his work.
Peter Max, Artist:
It’s like this. Sometimes, when you’re taking a walk, you know where you’re going, right, because you’re going someplace to meet somebody. And, sometimes, you’re just going for a walk. You don’t know where you’re going.
When I drew this, I didn’t know what I was drawing. But I drew a planet and another big planet and something the size of Earth with a big sage behind there. And I just loved where I went with it.
Amna Nawaz:
Max’s artwork sold in the millions, adorning everything from posters to postage stamps to the sides of a cruise ship and even a plane.
According to his son, Peter Max died this week at the age of 88.
