news,english
Judy Woodruff:
The White House is out with a new vaccine strategy to steer COVID-19 shots to states where demand is higher.
The change means shifting doses away from states where many people don't want them. President Biden said today that he wants 70 percent of U.S. adults to have at least one shot by July 4.
Pres. Joe Biden:
That means giving close to 100 million shots, some first shots, others second shots, over the next 60 days.
Of course, Americans can still get shots after July 4, but no one should wait. And let's try to hit that 70 percent mark, at least with one shot, before that day.
Judy Woodruff:
To date, about 56 percent of adults in the U.S. have gotten at least one shot.
We will discuss vaccinations with Dr. Vivek Murthy — he is the U.S. surgeon general — after the news summary.
India officially reached 20 million COVID infections today. That's second only to the U.S. and nearly twice what it was in India three months ago. Confirmed deaths in India have passed 220,000, and it is widely believed the actual numbers are far higher.
In hard-hit Mumbai, the nation's first drive-through vaccine station opened today to speed up the rate of inoculations.
Officials in Mexico are promising a quick investigation after an elevated train track collapsed late Monday, killing at least 24 people. A concrete beam buckled as a train rode over, leaving one of the subway cars dangling over a busy road. Nearly 80 people were hospitalized.
Mexico City's mayor vowed to get answers.
Claudia Sheinbaum (through translator):
The public prosecutor's office is conducting a probe that immediately began last night.
But we are also looking for an international company specialized in metro and structural matters to carry on an external technical probe that would lead us to what caused this sad incident.
Judy Woodruff:
The Mexico City metro system is one of the busiest in the world. It has had at least three major accidents since opening half-a-century ago.
U.S. intelligence analysts are warning that Afghan women will suffer greatly if the Taliban regains power once American troops leave this year. The National Intelligence Council says the militants would roll back 20 years of progress. In the past, the Taliban barred girls and women from schools and from jobs and inflicted public beatings.
Back in this country, intense storms raised alerts across the South again, before moving into the Mid-Atlantic. States from Texas to Georgia braced for strong winds, possible tornadoes and hail. Dozens of schools across Alabama and Mississippi dismissed students early.
The nation's average temperature is now one degree warmer than 20 years ago. That newly released data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration underscores climate change concerns. It also shows the Eastern and Central U.S. getting wetter and the West considerably drier.
And Wall Street struggled today. Tech stocks sank after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said interest rates might have to rise to prevent the economy from overheating. The Dow Jones industrial average edged up 19 points to close at 34133. but the Nasdaq fell 261 points, nearly 2 percent. The S&P 500 slipped 28.
from:pbs