News Wrap: NASA optimistic ahead of Artemis II reentry

[0:00] In the day's other headlines, NASA scientists say they're feeling optimistic as final preparations [0:05] are underway for the return of the Artemis II astronauts tomorrow. Reentry into Earth's [0:10] atmosphere is one of the most dangerous parts of the mission. Their Orion capsule is set to [0:15] hit speeds of nearly 24,000 miles per hour. At a press conference today, officials said they had [0:21] quote high confidence that all will go smoothly. Tomorrow the crew is going to put their lives [0:26] behind that confidence. Until then, the flight control team, the engineering team, the recovery [0:31] forces in the Pacific, to every engineer, every technician that's touched this machine, tomorrow [0:35] belongs to you. The crew has done their part. Now we have to do ours. [0:40] NASA also released new photos today showing the astronauts at work during their journey [0:44] around the moon. They're expected to splash down on Friday evening off the coast of San Diego. [0:50] The Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether the NFL used anti-competitive tactics [0:56] in its media rights deals. That's according to several news outlets and was first reported [1:01] by The Wall Street Journal. Fans, regulators and members of Congress have voiced concerns in [1:06] recent months over the cost of watching games now that they're offered across various broadcast, [1:11] cable and streaming platforms. In a statement, the league defended its practices, saying that, [1:16] quote, with over 87 percent of our games on free broadcast television, [1:21] the NFL has for decades put our fans front and center. [1:24] The U.K. and Norway said today they foiled a covert Russian submarine operation to potentially [1:31] sabotage undersea cables in the North Atlantic. Britain's defense minister, John Haley, told [1:37] reporters that military operation lasted more than a month and involved a Royal Navy frigate, [1:43] aircraft and hundreds of personnel. He said the Russian vessels eventually left with no evidence of [1:49] any damage to cables or pipes. At one point, Haley addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin [1:54] directly. We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines. [2:02] And you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious [2:09] consequences. Russia has dismissed previous claims of sabotage. Undersea cables are crucial for [2:15] electricity, Internet and global communications, especially for the U.K. More than 90 percent of its [2:21] day-to-day Internet traffic travels through such cables. Back here, the nation's fertility rate fell [2:28] to another record low last year. That's according to provisional data out today from the U.S. Centers [2:34] for Disease Control and Prevention. There were just over 53 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age in [2:40] 2025. That is down from nearly 54 births the year before and continues a trend that dates back to [2:47] 2007. The overall number of babies born in the U.S. last year also slipped to around 3.6 million. [2:55] One factor driving the decline has been lower birth rates for teens and women in their 20s. [3:01] Emperor penguins are now considered an endangered species as climate change threatens their natural [3:06] habitat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature cited a decline in sea ice for its change [3:17] of status, the world's largest and most recognizable penguin species. Emperor penguins rely on this ice [3:23] to live, hunt and breed. Scientists warn that without major cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, [3:29] emperor penguin numbers could be cut in half by the end of this century. The group also added the [3:35] Antarctic fur seal to its endangered species list as rising ocean temperatures affect its food sources. [3:42] On Wall Street today, stocks ended higher amid cautious hopes for a lasting ceasefire in Iran. [3:48] The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 275 points on the day. The Nasdaq rose nearly 200 points or almost [3:55] 1 percent. The S&P 500 also ended firmly in positive territory. [3:59] And K-pop supergroup BTS kicked off its Reunion World Tour today after a nearly four-year hiatus. [4:16] Tens of thousands of fans from all over the world braved the rain at today's kickoff performance [4:21] near Seoul. The downpours didn't dampen the mood for its army of fans, as they're known, [4:27] and the band didn't disappoint, with a set list of more than 20 songs. [4:40] BTS burst back on the scene with a massive one-off concert last month in Seoul. [4:45] All seven members had recently completed South Korea's mandatory military service. [4:50] They head next to Tokyo before bringing their tour here to North America. [4:55] Still to come on the NewsHour, the president's aggressive rhetoric about the war in Iran [5:00] faces increasing congressional scrutiny. We take a look at how people in Israel have been marking [5:06] Passover in the shadow of war. And we go inside Chicago's innovative Steppenwolf Theater company [5:12] as it celebrates 50 years. [5:18] This is the PBS NewsHour from the David M. Rubenstein Studio at WETA in Washington, [5:24] headquarters of PBS News. [5:25] Support journalism you trust. Support PBS News. Donate now, or even better, [5:35] start a monthly contribution today.