GEOFF BENNETT: In the day's other headlines: Pakistan's defense minister says his country is engaged in an open war with Afghanistan after the neighboring countries exchanged attacks last night.

Pakistan accused the Taliban government in Afghanistan of harboring militant groups, which it says launched strikes across the border in Pakistan.

For its part, Afghanistan denies enabling terrorism and says Pakistan broke a previous cease-fire agreement the two sides reached back in October.

ZABIHULLAH MUJAHID, Taliban Spokesman (through translator): Whenever aggression has occurred against Afghanistan, the Islamic emirate has always tried to resolve the issue through dialogue and mutual understanding.

However, each time, the aggression has persisted.

GEOFF BENNETT: In Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, residents there voiced support for the strikes.

AKHTAR SHAHEEN, Karachi, Pakistan, Resident (through translator): The point is, when faced with aggression, you have to respond.

Pakistan is a sovereign state.

And our nation expects us to defend it.

GEOFF BENNETT: Tensions between the two sides have been boiling for months after border clashes in October.

Israel's high court ruled that aid groups can continue operating in the Gaza Strip.

The ruling reverses an earlier government decision that barred the groups for refusing to comply with new Israeli rules.

It comes as five people were killed in Israeli drone strikes on two separate police checkpoints today.

Israel says they were in response to a violation of the fragile cease-fire by Hamas.

At a funeral today for some of those killed, family members said that the truce has done little to stop the violence.

AHMED GOUDA, Relative of Palestinian Killed (through translator): Those three dead are among a number that continues to rise every day.

As Israeli violations continue, they have not stopped since the signing of the truce agreement.

GEOFF BENNETT: Meantime, some Palestinians from the West Bank were denied entry into Jerusalem for the second Friday of Ramadan prayers.

Israeli authorities had said they would only allow up to 10,000 Palestinian worshipers and they'd tighten security across the city.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says that Scouting America will change several policies to maintain Pentagon support, including one targeting transgender youth.

The Texas-based organization is keeping its new name, rather than returning to Boy Scouts, and it will continue its service for some 200,000 girls.

But in a video posted to social media, Hegseth said the group will require its members to use their -- quote -- "biological sex at birth and not gender identity" and that the Pentagon will end its support of the organization if it fails to comply.

PETE HEGSETH, U.S.

Defense Secretary: These and other changes that Scouting America's leadership committed to will hopefully result in a rededication to the foundational ideals that have defined scouting for generations,duty to God and country, leadership, character and service.

GEOFF BENNETT: Meantime, in Kansas today, two transgender men are suing the state over a new law that requires that gender markers on a driver's license or birth certificate match a person's sex at birth.

The Kansas law is the first such measure in the nation.

Democratic lawmakers say they are stunned and deeply alarmed following yet another instance of a laser being used to shoot down a drone near the U.S.-Mexico border.

It happened yesterday near Fort Hancock in West Texas.

The drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, and the incident prompted the FAA to temporarily suspend flights.

In a joint statement, the agencies and the Pentagon described the drone as a -- quote -- "seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace."

It follows a similar incident earlier this month that grounded commercial flights in nearby El Paso for a few hours.

NASA's plan to send astronauts back to the moon is getting a revamp.

The agency says it's adding an extra practice mission to its Artemis flight lineup next year, with the goal of one or even two lunar landings in 2028.

The shakeup comes just days after NASA's Artemis II moon rocket returned to its hangar for repairs.

JARED ISAACMAN, NASA Administrator: We shouldn't be comfortable with the current cadence.

We should be getting back to basics and doing what we know works.

GEOFF BENNETT: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the new plan will inject momentum into the program by reducing yearslong gaps in between flights.

In that way, it will be similar to NASA's fast-paced Apollo program, the first that brought humans to the moon more than a half-century ago.

The financial technology company Block is cutting 4,000 of its 10,000 employees as it embraces the use of artificial intelligence.

The 40 percent cut is one of the most dramatic steps taken by a tech company directly because of the use of A.I.

Investors welcomed the news, though, with Block's shares ending nearly 17 percent higher.

Elsewhere, on Wall Street today, stocks slumped amid worries about A.I., inflation and a possible war with Iran.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 500 points.

The Nasdaq dropped more than 200 points.

The S&P 500 also ended the week lower.

And there was an unusual scene at Washington's Reagan National Airport today, as a former U.S.

president joined with his fellow travelers in waiting out a flight delay.

Joe Biden's Secret Service detail gave him away as people lined up to take pictures with the nation's 46th president.

Mr.

Biden was flying to South Carolina for an event.

The flight was delayed by fog.

Once on board, the former president greeted his fellow passengers as they filed past.

His seatmate only realized who he was when she sat down.

She told a reporter she felt like she was about to cry as she shook hands with the former president.

The two chatted throughout the flight.

And we have a passing of note from the world of music.

Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka has died.

Known for his hits, including "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Calendar Girl," and "Oh!

Carol," Sedaka's work was a staple of radio stations in the '60s and '70s.

A Brooklyn native, Sedaka initially pursued classical music, but as a teenager fell in love with the pop songs of the era.

He went on to forge a six-decade career in the business, racking up hits and five Grammy nominations.

Luminaries like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra covered his work, And Sedaka continued performing well into his 80s.

His family said they are devastated by his sudden passing.

Neil Sedaka was 86 years old.

Still to come on the "News Hour": Paramount outbids Netflix, paving the way to take over the Warner Bros.

media giant; a leading A.I.

firm pushes back on the Pentagon, why the tech company refuses to remove safety guardrails; and David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart weigh in on the week's political headlines.