In our news wrap Friday, the Pentagon began releasing new files on UFOs, health authorities in the Canary Islands are preparing for the arrival of the cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak, a jury convicted four men of conspiracy in the assassination of Haiti’s president in 2021, ABC accused the FCC of violating its First Amendment rights, and Sir David Attenborough celebrated his 100th birthday.
Amna Nawaz:
The Pentagon began releasing what it calls new never-before-seen files on unidentified anomalous phenomena, more commonly known as UFOs.
The files were released on the Pentagon’s website. They include black-and-white imagery of flying objects, government reports and transcripts from flight crews and NASA astronauts.
In one, Buzz Aldrin describes seeing a fairly bright light source during the Apollo 11 mission. Officials say the public should draw their own conclusions on what the files mean in terms of alien life, though, critics worry the videos could be misinterpreted.
Spanish health authorities in the Canary Islands are preparing for the arrival of the cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak. Officials say more than 140 passengers and crew will be evacuated and loaded onto buses, but only when their repatriation flights are ready.
U.S. and U.K. officials have said they plan to send planes to evacuate their citizens. The ship is due to arrive in Tenerife off the coast of West Africa on Sunday. Spain’s head of emergency services says passengers will be taken to a cordoned-off area and that there will be — quote — “no chance” of contact with residents.
Virginia Barcones (through interpreter):
The most common scenario we are currently working on is that the 147 passengers will arrive without symptoms and the planes will be standard. However, we have also requested a medicalized aircraft to ensure we are fully prepared should it be needed.
Amna Nawaz:
But dozens of port workers are protesting the ship’s arrival. Some are worried about the spread of the virus, while others say the evacuation will disrupt their work at the port. Officials say none of those remaining on board are symptomatic.
President Trump says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day cease-fire at his request to allow for Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations this weekend. In a post on social media, Mr. Trump said the truce would — quote — “include a suspension of all kinetic activity and also a prisoner swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country.” The Kremlin and Ukraine’s president have both confirmed the agreement.
Before that, though, each side accused the other of repeatedly violating cease-fires they’d separately declared. Russia released video today that it said showed Ukrainian strikes on a commercial aviation hub in Rostov-on-Don.
In Florida today, a jury convicted four men of conspiracy in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in 2021. His death plunged the Caribbean nation into political turmoil, providing an opportunity for gangs to take increasing control of the country.
The four conspirators were not accused of actually killing Moise, but rather of plotting to replace him with their own leader in a bid to enrich themselves. They now face life in prison. At least five others have already pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and are now serving life sentences.
ABC is accusing the Federal Communications Commission of violating its First Amendment rights. That follows the FCC opening an inquiry into the talk show “The View” over whether it violated federal rules to provide equal airtime to political candidates.
In a filing today, the network says the FCC’s actions — quote — “threatened to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech.” ABC’s been a frequent target of the Trump administration, including over recent comments by comedian Jimmy Kimmel about first lady Melania Trump.
On Wall Street today, stocks posted decent gains following that reassuring jobs report. The Dow Jones industrial average added just 12 points, so mostly flat, but the Nasdaq rallied more than 400 points to a new record. The S&P 500 also closed out the week on a positive note.
And Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Philip Caputo has died. His 1977 memoir, “A Rumor of War,” about his own service as a platoon leader in Vietnam, is considered a classic of wartime literature. It documents in vivid detail the psychological terror of fighting a largely unseen enemy.
It was turned into a two-part CBS miniseries and explored the erosion of ethics, as soldiers, including his own, killed civilians with suspected Vietcong ties. Caputo also wrote nearly a dozen works of fiction. His son said he died from cancer. Philip Caputo was 84 years old.
Meanwhile, Sir David Attenborough is marking his 100th birthday, and millions of fans and nature lovers around the world are celebrating with him, even if the famously modest television host had planned otherwise.
Sir David Attenborough, Naturalist:
I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas.
Amna Nawaz:
Those plans include a two-minute tribute by the BBC on a giant screen in Central London. There have also been museum events, special screenings and tributes from countless admirers.
For seven decades, Attenborough has brought the natural world into our homes through programs like “Life on Earth” and “Blue Planet.” He’s taught us not just about nature, but also about ourselves.
Sir David Attenborough:
It’s really very unfair that man should have chosen the gorilla to symbolize all that is aggressive and violent, and that’s the one thing that the gorilla is not and that we are.
Amna Nawaz:
So, on this, his 100th birthday, we at the “News Hour” would like to congratulate Sir David Attenborough on making this shared planet feel a bit more familiar to us all and to say thank you.