News Wrap: FDA advisers back Pfizer vaccine for kids 5 to 11

• Judy Woodruff:

  In the day's other news: FDA advisers recommended that the agency approve Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for 5-to-11-year-olds. They said the benefits outweigh a rare side effect of heart inflammation, mostly in boys.

  And Deborah Birx, who was former President Trump's COVID coordinator, now says that he was distracted by the election and that pandemic response efforts suffered as a result. She has told a congressional panel that this led to more than 130,000 avoidable deaths.

  The Pentagon is warning that the Islamic State in Afghanistan could be able to strike at the U.S. within six to 12 months. Undersecretary of Defense Colin Kahl gave that assessment at a U.S. Senate hearing today. He said that it is not clear if Afghanistan's Taliban rulers can take on ISIS.

  In Sudan today, the new military ruler defended Monday's coup, claiming his actions helped prevent a civil war. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said that officials in the deposed government could face trial for fomenting discontent and trying to incite rebellion in the army.

• General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chair, Sovereignty Council of Sudan (through translator) :

  This issue reached a deadlock, and the armed forces had a clear choice.

  So we took the decision to return back to the popular revolution, its luster and laurel, and the possibility of achieving their hopes. We want to continue achieving the demands of the people and achieving the state of freedom, peace, and justice.

• Judy Woodruff:

  Later, the Associated Press reported that the ousted prime minister has been allowed to go home, under heavy security.

  Meanwhile, protesters returned to the streets of Khartoum today to demonstrate against the takeover. Several people were killed yesterday in clashes with security forces.

  State media in Iran say that a cyberattack closed gas stations across the country today. Fuel pumps were turned off as frustrated drivers waited in long lines for stations to reopen. The disruption affected those trying to use smart cards to buy cheaper subsidized fuel. There was no word on who might have carried out the hack.

  The head of the United Nations sounded an urgent call today for world leaders to act on global warming. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke days before leaders gather for a climate summit in Scotland. He said they must be bold if they really are serious about curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General:

  The clock is ticking. The emissions gap is the result of a leadership gap. But leaders can still make this a turning point to the future, instead of a tipping point to climate catastrophe.

• Judy Woodruff:

  President Biden has rejected a second attempt by former President Trump to invoke executive privilege in a probe of the U.S. Capitol assault.

  A select committee of the U.S. House of Representatives sought documents on the January 6 attack. The president already blocked Mr. Trump's initial attempt to invoke executive privilege.

  And on Wall Street today, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 15 points to close at 35756, another record. The Nasdaq rose nine points. The S&P 500 added eight, also closing at a new high.

from:pbs