CDC recommends Pfizer booster for children 5-11
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Children in this age group who received their last dose at least five months earlier are eligible to receive the additional doses immediately. The booster shot would be the third dose available for most children and the fourth dose for some immunocompromised children. A booster dose will offer children an extra layer of protection at a time when infections and hospitalizations are once again rising nationally, scientific advisers to the agency concluded Thursday. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, endorsed the recommendation.
Routine review of Census shows miscount in 14 states, but won’t alter data
The 2020 census undercounted the population of six states and overcounted residents in eight, the Census Bureau said Thursday, a finding that highlighted the difficulties of conducting the most star-crossed population count in living memory. The conclusions come from a survey of 161,000 housing units conducted after the census was completed, a standard procedure following each once-in-a-decade head count of the U.S. population. The results showed that six states — Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas — most likely have a larger population than was officially counted. Eight states probably have fewer residents than were recorded, the survey found: Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah.
Jan. 6 inquiry presses Republican lawmaker about Capitol tour
Leaders of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol asked Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., to submit to questioning about a tour he gave one day before the riot, saying they were looking into whether rioters had conducted reconnaissance of the building before the rampage. In a Thursday letter to Loudermilk, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chair of the panel, and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the vice chair, said investigators had obtained evidence that he had led a tour through parts of the Capitol complex Jan. 5, 2021, when it was closed to visitors because of pandemic restrictions. Loudermilk has denied having led any “reconnaissance” tour.
Moscow moves to Russify seized Ukraine land, signaling annexation
Fresh from its triumph over the last armed Ukrainian resistance in the devastated city of Mariupol, Russia appeared to be laying the groundwork Thursday for annexing swaths of southeast Ukraine, described by a high-ranking Kremlin official as having a “worthy place in our Russian family.” In a sign that Moscow was preparing to push for the Russification of the region, Russian officials have already moved to introduce the ruble currency, install proxy politicians in local governments, impose new school curricula, reroute internet servers through Russia and cut the population off from Ukrainian broadcasts.
Senate overwhelmingly approves $40B in aid to Ukraine
The Senate on Thursday approved a $40 billion emergency military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine, moving quickly and with little debate to deepen the United States’ support for an increasingly costly and protracted fight against Russia’s invasion. The measure, paired with an initial emergency infusion of aid that was approved in March, amounts to the largest package of foreign aid passed by Congress in at least two decades, bringing to roughly $54 billion the total U.S. investment in the war in just over two months. President Joe Biden was expected to quickly sign the Ukraine aid package into law.
Global stocks fall, with the S&P 500 nearing bear market territory
Stocks fell Thursday following Wall Street’s worst day in nearly two years, amid growing concern about inflation’s impact on economic growth and company profitability. The S&P 500 ticked down 0.6% after falling 4% Wednesday. The index sits just above the threshold for bear market territory, a Wall Street term for a 20% decline from a recent peak. This type of drop serves as a measure of investors’ pessimism about the market. Through Thursday, the S&P 500 had dropped 18.7% from its Jan. 3 peak. Shares in Europe were also sharply lower. Major indexes in European countries fell by more than 1%. The Nikkei 225 in Japan fell 1.9%.
By wire sources