Amna Nawaz:
The head of the Food and Drug Administration, Marty Makary, is resigning after an uneven tenure at the agency. The surgeon and researcher made a name for himself in Trump circles as a critic of COVID era health policies.
But he frustrated administration officials and health industry executives alike over his approach to new vaping products and the abortion drug mifepristone. As he left the White House today, President Trump wished Makary well, saying he — quote — “was having some difficulty.”
Makary will be replaced on an acting basis by Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s top food official.
Meantime in the U.K., Prime Minister Keir Starmer is refusing to resign, despite growing pressure from within his own party. In their weekly meeting today, Starmer told his Cabinet — quote — “The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I’m doing and what we must do as a Cabinet.”
At last count, some 90 Labor lawmakers have urged Mr. Starmer to set a timetable for his departure following hefty losses in last week’s local elections. Several junior ministers have quit and the public remains frustrated over his handling of the economy. But some Cabinet members have voiced their support, with one urging Labor Party members to, as he put it, take a breath.
A Spanish passenger who was on the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive and remains in quarantine in Madrid. That brings the number of confirmed cases to at least nine, with two more suspected cases.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organization:
Viruses do not respect borders. Our strongest immunity is solidarity.
Amna Nawaz:
The head of the World Health Organization says, as of now, there are no signs of a larger outbreak, though more cases could emerge.
On Monday, the last of the ship’s passengers finally disembarked in Spain. It’s now sailing back to the Netherlands to be disinfected; 18 American passengers are back in the States and are being monitored by health officials.
The Justice Department announced criminal charges today against the operators of the ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge two years ago. Officials laid out the charges against Synergy Marine and Synergy Maritime, along with the ship’s technical supervisor, at a press conference this morning.
They include conspiracy and obstruction of an agency proceeding, among others.
Jimmy Paul, FBI Special Agent:
As alleged, the bridge was struck and collapsed because those who were responsible for the ship’s operation deliberately cut corners at the expense of safety.
Amna Nawaz:
In March of 2024, the ship called the Dali lost power twice and slammed into the bridge. Six construction workers were killed. Maryland officials say it will cost as much as $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which would then open to traffic in 2030.
FBI Director Kash Patel pushed back today against accusations that he drinks to excess on the job and is at times unreachable by his staff. Appearing before a Senate budget hearing today, Patel called the allegations unequivocally, categorically false.
When Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed Patel about a report in “The Atlantic” that included instances of his drinking, Patel fired back, referencing a visit Van Hollen made to El Salvador last year to visit the mistakenly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Kash Patel, FBI Director:
Unlike your baseless reports, the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gangbanging rapist…
(Crosstalk)
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD):
Director Patel, come on. These are serious allegations that were made against you.
Amna Nawaz:
There is no evidence Van Hollen engaged in any inappropriate behavior while in El Salvador.
Abrego Garcia has not been convicted of any crimes, but is facing human smuggling charges in the U.S., which he denies. Director Patel is suing “The Atlantic” over its reporting.
A mayor in Southern California plans to plead guilty in the coming weeks to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. Eileen Wang resigned as mayor of Arcadia yesterday. That’s a suburb of Los Angeles with a large Chinese-American population.
The 58-year-old has been charged with one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government after she shared pro-Beijing articles online. Wang could face up to 10 years in prison. Her lawyers say she is sorry for the mistakes she’s made.
In the corporate world, eBay is rejecting a $56 billion takeover bid by video game retailer GameStop. The online marketplace called the offer — quote — “neither credible nor attractive”; eBay’s market capitalization is roughly four times the size of GameStop’s, and many on Wall Street had questioned the financing of the deal.
Shares of GameStop fell today, while eBay’s stock rose more than 2 percent.
Elsewhere on Wall Street, stocks ended mixed as technology shares cooled. The Dow Jones industrial average managed a slight gain of around 50 points, but the Nasdaq fell nearly 200 points. The S&P 500 also ended lower on the day.
And the annual Eurovision song contest kicked off today, with Israel’s participation striking a dissonant chord.
Protesters:
Free, free, Palestine!
Protesters:
Free, free, Palestine!
Amna Nawaz:
In the host city of Vienna, some demonstrators called on countries to boycott the contest. Spain, Ireland the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland all chose not to send contestants.
Part “American Idol,” part World Cup, Eurovision is now in its 70th year, with singers and bands from 35 nations representing their home countries. Last year, an estimated 166 million people tuned in, more than the Super Bowl. This year’s winner will be crowned on Saturday.
And Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died. Clarke was a first round pick in the 2019 NBA draft and earned All Rookie First Team honors in his first season. He spent his entire seven-year NBA career with Memphis, though injuries limited his playing time in recent years.
Last month, Clarke was arrested for speeding and possession of a controlled substance. He was later released on bond. The NBA and Clarke’s agency confirmed his death today, with the Grizzlies calling him — quote — “an outstanding teammate and an even better person.” They offered no details on how he died. Brandon Clarke was 29 years old.
