News Wrap: FDA advisory panel backs Moderna booster for seniors, other high-risk groups

• Judy Woodruff:

  Americans who've had Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine are a big step closer to getting boosters. An FDA advisory panel recommended the extra shots today for senior citizens and those with health issues or at-risk jobs. The same guidelines already apply to Pfizer's booster shots. The recommendation now goes to the FDA and the CDC.

  Meanwhile, President Biden urged more businesses to mandate COVID vaccinations for their employees. At the White House, he said mandates are driving up the nation's vaccination rates. And he argued again it's not about politics.

• President Joe Biden:

  Vaccination requirements should not be another issue that divides us. That's why we continue to battle the misinformation that's out there.

• Judy Woodruff:

  The Biden administration plans to implement a vaccination mandate requirement for larger companies, but some Republican governors are opposing the move.

  There's yet more data that shows U.S. inflation is running hot. The Labor Department reports wholesale prices spiked 8.6 percent in September from a year earlier. That's the most since 2010, when the government began calculating year-to-year increases.

  In Beirut, Lebanon, at least six people were killed and dozens wounded today in the worst Muslim-Christian fighting in years. Gun battles broke out as Shiite militants of Hezbollah protested against a judge investigating last year's Beirut port explosion. Many were shot by snipers on rooftops.

• Michel Younan, Beirut Resident (through translator):

  There were protests, and then suddenly gunfire began, shooting, RPGs and everything. Why is it our fault? Isn't this a shame? They brought us back to the days of the civil war.

• Judy Woodruff:

  That civil war from 1975 to 1990 pitted Shiites against Christians.

  Police in Norway say that a bow-and-arrow rampage that killed five people appears to be a terrorist attack. They have arrested a 37-year-old Danish man, but the motive is unclear. Flags flew at half-staff today in a small town near Oslo, where the attack took place last night. People left candles and stuffed animals as a memorial.

  At least 46 people died in Taiwan today when fire engulfed a residential and commercial building. Flames broke out in the early morning hours. The 13-story building was home to many elderly and poor residents, as well as those with disabilities. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

  Back in this country, it now appears that an oil spill off Southern California this month was far smaller than first feared. The Coast Guard's new estimate today is that 25,000 gallons of crude was involved. The initial estimate was five times that amount.

  More than 10,000 John Deere workers went on strike today over pay and overtime rules. The walkout at 14 plants is the first major work stoppage at the farm machinery giant in more than 30 years. It comes after workers overwhelmingly voted against a tentative agreement.

  And on Wall Street, stocks rallied, with major indexes rising 1.5 percent or more. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 534 points to close at 34912. The Nasdaq added 251 points. The S&P 500 was up 74.

from:pbs