Tag: Urges

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Politics

Biden urges Congress to cross financial payments

Biden urges Congress to pass economic bills

President Joe Biden on Friday urged Congress to pass his more than $4 trillion economic agenda in order to boost sluggish job growth.

The president made his case for spending on infrastructure, climate policy and the social safety net after the Labor Department said the country added 235,000 jobs in August. The figure fell well short of the 720,000 jobs economists had expected.

Biden pinned the poor report on the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus and the reluctance of many eligible Americans to get a Covid-19 vaccine. He said the U.S. could boost its economy by reining in the virus and passing his two economic plans, which he said would help the middle class and make the country more resilient to the kind of extreme weather that knocked out power in New Orleans and crippled transit in New York City in recent days.

“Our country needs these investments,” Biden said. “I’m not asking for anything other than some fairness being injected into the system.”

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Biden stressed he does not see the investments as a “short-term stimulus” while the country emerges from the pandemic’s shadow. He said the proposals are designed to create “long-term prosperity.”

The president’s push for his economic agenda comes a day after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., complicated his party’s plans to pass it in Congress. Manchin, whose vote Democrats will need to approve an up to $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill in the Senate, urged congressional leaders to “pause” consideration of the measure.

The senator, who helped to negotiate the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill, cited inflation and long-term debt as reasons for a delay. He did not rule out voting for a proposal that costs less than $3.5 trillion.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said she will not hold a vote on the infrastructure legislation until the Senate passes the Democrats’ spending plan. After centrists in her caucus threatened to hold up the budget bill, Pelosi made a nonbinding commitment to consider the bipartisan bill by Sept. 27.

In a Thursday Twitter post after Manchin announced his stance, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said the fates of the two economic plans are tied.

“No infrastructure bill without the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill,” the Senate Budget Committee chairman said.

Pelosi and the White House hope to fully offset the spending through tax increases on the wealthy and corporations, among other measures. Democrats could also consider taxes on companies with runaway CEO pay and businesses that repurchase a substantial amount of stock, according to a discussion list circulated among Democratic lawmakers and obtained by CNBC.

Republicans have cited proposed tax hikes, and the overall $3.5 trillion price tag, in opposing the package.

Biden on Friday framed tax increases on the wealthy and corporations as a way to create a fairer economy. He repeated his pledge not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000.

“To those big corporations that don’t want things to change, my message is this: It’s time for working families, the folks who built this country, to have their taxes cut,” Biden said.

“And those corporate interests doing everything they can to find allies in Congress to keep that from happening, let me be, as the old expression goes, perfectly clear: I’m going to take them on.”

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Politics

Wall Road urges traders to arrange

Wall Street urges investors to prepare

People are exercising on the National Mall as temperatures are projected to hit nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit on August 13, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images

Major Wall Street brokers urge their clients to look past the democratic power struggles and prepare for a spate of new government spending as House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi puts two historic measures to the vote.

Strategists say moderate Democrats hoping to convince Pelosi, D-California to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill before passing a $ 3.5 trillion budget decision, fearing their chances of re-election in 2022 to risk.

“Our baseline scenario was and is that Congress will approve a significant expansion of fiscal policy,” wrote Morgan Stanley’s director of public policy, Michael Zezas, in a note released Monday.

“The democratic leadership is acting like it has calculated that none of the bills have the votes to pass independently,” he added. “Our baseline assumes that this reality will ultimately convince the House of Representatives moderates group to support the budget resolution vote and continue the two-pronged process, albeit possibly not without some accompanying headlines and / or modest concessions.”

Cornerstone Macro, another Wall Street research firm, reiterated Morgan Stanley’s optimism about both democratic initiatives with some humor earlier in the week.

“Trivia question. What is one of the most important democratic presidential priorities that moderates in the House of Representatives have killed over the past four decades?” Cornerstone strategists interviewed their customers. “That’s a trick question. There aren’t any.”

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Both companies say a group of nine Democrats are unlikely to follow the middle of a threat to suspend President Joe Biden’s $ 3.5 trillion health, education and climate change package that is currently being drafted, to stop.

These bets will be tested later on Monday when Pelosi is expected to hold an important procedural vote that would move both plans forward according to a specific but undisclosed schedule. MPs are returning to Washington this week after a brief August hiatus to review both bills approved by the Senate earlier this month.

The latest stalemate between moderate and progressive Democrats comes after the nine centrists penned a letter last week informing Pelosi that they would not support the $ 3.5 trillion budget resolution plan before the Chamber did Infrastructure Act passed.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, one of the lawmakers calling for an expedited vote on the bipartisan plan, said Monday that lawmakers shouldn’t wait weeks for House progressives to finalize the budget to vote on improvements to the country’s highways.

The New Jersey Democrat reiterated his support for a reconciliation package, but said he would rather get infrastructure repair projects off the ground before being stuck for months while the chamber haggled over a bill to fight climate change and poverty.

“We have to get the infrastructure ready. The next package, the reconciliation package … in the end we have to discuss it for months,” Gottheimer told Squawk Box on Monday morning. “I’m just saying, let’s finish, let’s shovel shovels in the ground and get people to work. And then we can move on to reconciliation.”

On the surface, the threat posed by the moderates of the house carries weight, as Pelosi cannot afford more than three defectors in the narrowly divided chamber.

The $ 1 trillion infrastructure bill garnered 19 GOP votes in the Senate, including one from minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., And could get 15-25 Republican votes in the House of Representatives. However, it is unclear whether House Republicans would support the $ 3.5 trillion plan.

Progressives say sending the infrastructure bill to Biden’s desk first could jeopardize much-needed climate and poverty measures in the larger reconciliation bill by losing the leverage of the Democrats.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) holds her weekly press conference at the United States Capitol in Washington, USA on August 6, 2021.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

The moderates are under considerable pressure from the unified party leadership, including President Pelosi, Majority Whip James Clyburn and other top Democrats, who are in favor of the passing of the budget equalization law in addition to the infrastructure.

Stifel’s chief Washington strategist Brian Gardner said Democrats couldn’t risk looking like a threat to their own party if they were at all concerned about their chances of reelection in 2022.

“The party knows that a loss in 2022 would ruin the president’s legislative agenda,” he wrote in a statement released last week. “Fear of losing the election is likely to keep House Democrats in check at least long enough to pass the budget decision,” and keep the process going.

“Failure with infrastructure laws (particularly the Senate bill) is not an option as it would support the current narrative of chaos,” added Gardner. “The failure in Afghanistan, the chaos on the southern border, the inability to counteract the spread of the Delta variant, as well as the possible failure of President Biden’s domestic political agenda would probably be catastrophic for the Democrats in 2022.”

– CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

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Health

‘Please get vaccinated now,’ Biden urges after FDA approves Pfizer Covid photographs

'Please get vaccinated now,' Biden urges after FDA approves Pfizer Covid shots

United States President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.

Pete Marovich | Bloomberg | Getty Images

President Joe Biden again urged more Americans to get vaccinated against Covid-19 on Monday, saying the majority of deaths and hospitalizations in the United States from the virus are unvaccinated.

“Those who have been waiting for full approval should take their chance now,” Biden said during a press conference at the White House hours after the Food and Drug Administration completed the full Covid vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech for people aged 16 and over Had granted approval.

He said the US agency had evaluated “mountains” of clinical study data and determined “without question” that the Covid syringe was safe and highly effective.

“The overwhelming majority of people hospitalized with Covid-19, or almost all of those who have died of Covid-19, are not vaccinated, not vaccinated,” he told reporters. “If you are fully vaccinated – both vaccinations plus two weeks – your risk of developing serious Covid-19 is very, very small.”

“Please get vaccinated now,” added Biden.

According to the agency, FDA scientists evaluated “hundreds of thousands of pages” of vaccine data from 40,000 study participants before granting approval. The two-dose vaccine was found to be 91% effective in preventing Covid – slightly lower than the 95% effectiveness rate study data shown when the vaccine was approved late last year and before the Delta variant prevailed in the USA

So far, the mRNA vaccine, marketed as Comirnaty, has been on the US market under emergency approval granted by the FDA in December. Since then, more than 204 million Pfizer shots have been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Biden’s latest plea comes because coronavirus cases are still safe nationwide, filled by the highly contagious Delta variant. The president said U.S. health officials are beginning to see signs that new cases may decline in some regions of the nation. Still, he said, cases are increasing overall, especially among the unvaccinated.

US officials believe vaccination is the best way to stave off rising cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 51% of the entire US population will be fully vaccinated against Covid as of Sunday.

The US approval is expected to spark a new wave of vaccine mandates from American companies and schools. Large companies have already told some or all of their employees that they need to get a full Covid vaccination this fall. Still, despite having legal authority to do so, health experts say some private companies and other institutions may be reluctant to request the shots before full approval.

Earlier in the day, New York City officials said they are now requiring all 148,000 public school teachers and employees to receive their Covid-19 vaccine shots this fall. They had previously said that employees could avoid the vaccines if they had regular weekly Covid tests.

During his speech, Biden urged other schools and companies to prescribe the vaccine.

“All over the world people want these vaccines here in America,” he said. “They’re free, convenient, and waiting for you. So today please go for yourself, for your loved ones, for your neighbors, for your country.”

– CNBC’s Rich Mendez and Bob Towey contributed to this report.

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Health

Expedia CEO urges Covid vaccine for all however says it will not be required for workers

Expedia CEO urges Covid vaccine for all but says it won't be required for employees

Expedia is holding back on a company-wide Covid vaccine mandate even as other large companies begin implementing them, CEO Peter Kern told CNBC on Friday.

“We’re trying to find solutions that are most widely used across our entire workforce, but there are no easy answers. … We all have to learn to live with Covid,” Kern said on Squawk Box. . “

“If we were all vaccinated in the US, we wouldn’t talk a lot about the Delta variant or anything else. But the world is a big place. We won’t vaccinate 8 billion people overnight,” said Kern of the US Census Bureau nearly 7.8 billion, and growing.

The online travel platform CEO’s comments came when United Airlines announced on Friday morning that its 67,000 US employees would have to get vaccinated or risk being fired by October 25th – a first among major US airlines and a move that will likely put pressure on its competitors. Other airlines, including Delta Air Lines, are still choosing to incentivize their employees and customers to get vaccinated instead of requiring them.

“We have offices in 55 countries around the world, there is no one-size-fits-all answer,” said Kern. “I think everyone gets vaccinated and I think companies are trying to find ways to motivate their employees in the right way and we definitely want our employees to be vaccinated too . “

The travel business has been adversely affected by the more contagious Delta variant spreading in the U.S. and around the world, Kern said. “We’ve certainly seen tremendous demand well into the summer and there is still pretty strong demand. But on the fringes, Delta has certainly had an impact.”

Kern said business travel “lagged significantly,” with delayed plans to return to the office likely to add to this trend. However, he believes that Expedia’s business, international and domestic bookings will return to pre-pandemic levels by next summer.

When travel made a comeback in April, Expedia changed its marketing strategy by updating its app and websites to focus more on collaborating with consumers in planning trips rather than just focusing on the number of bookings. The company raised $ 3.2 billion in new capital last year to help cut costs during the height of the pandemic.

“I think you will see that we are investing better, smarter and more organized against our brands,” said Kern. “You will see that our brands are working more clearly together for the common good rather than competing with one another.”

Expedia announced an adjusted loss per share of $ 1.13 for the second quarter after the bell on Thursday. Analysts had expected a loss of 65 cents per share. However, sales of $ 2.11 billion were better than expected. That’s a 273% increase from pandemic-related sales a year ago, but still about 40% less than in the second quarter of 2019 before Covid.

The company’s brands include the namesake Expedia.com as well as Hotels.com, Vrbo, Trivago, Orbitz and Hotwire.

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Health

Idaho Gov. Brad Little urges residents to get Covid vaccine

Long-haul Covid symptoms should be a 'wake-up call' for young people, Texas Children's doctor says

Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Friday called on the state’s residents to get vaccinated against Covid, citing concern about the delta variant and its potential to hinder economic progress.

“We’re just urging everybody to get vaccinated,” Little said on CNBC’s “The Exchange.”

Little said his biggest concern and “one of the most detrimental things” to the economy would be if children do not attend in-person school full-time in the fall and and parents stay home with them. “That will slow down the economy, so we want the vaccination rate to get up and protect our Idaho citizens,” said Little, a Republican who took office in 2019. He previously served as lieutenant governor.

Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation, with about 46% of residents ages 12 and up fully vaccinated and nearly 51% having at least one dose, according to the state’s public health division. Both figures lag the national rate.

For the U.S. overall, 58% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated while 68% have had at least one dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Half of the total American population is now fully vaccinated against Covid, a White House official tweeted Friday before the CDC posted the data on its website.

The number of daily cases is also on the rise in Idaho as the highly contagious delta variant ravages largely unvaccinated parts of the country. 

Little has refrained from imposing a statewide mask mandate, although a few counties and about a dozen cities in Idaho have issued local requirements in efforts to curb the spread of the virus. In late May, Little rescinded an executive order barring mask mandates that Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin issued while he was away at a conference.

“I believe in empowering businesses and local government to do the right thing,” Little told CNBC. “We’re advocates of vaccination and doing whatever health protocols to keep the spread down, but we are very concerned about” the delta variant.

Little said he hopes more residents getting vaccinated demonstrates the benefits to those who are hesitant to get the shot. “Every day that goes by that more people are vaccinated and protected means that their neighbors, friends, family members are aware of that,” he said.

Despite the near-term Covid worries, Little said economic activity in Idaho remains strong. He noted that Idaho’s population is one of the fastest-growing in the U.S.

“We are concerned about the new variant and some more positivity rates, but we just got a great booming economy here right now,” he said.

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Politics

Biden Urges Putin to Take Motion Towards

Biden Urges Putin to Take Action Against

President Biden on Friday urged President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to “take action to disrupt” online criminal organizations in his country and said that the United States reserves the right to respond against hackers who launch ransomware attacks from inside Russia, according to a White House readout of a telephone call between the two leaders.

“I made it very clear to him that the United States expects when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil, even though it’s not sponsored by the state, we expect him to act, and we give him enough information to act on who that is,” Mr. Biden said to reporters after signing an executive order at the White House.

Asked if Russia would face consequences for the spate of recent attacks, Mr. Biden simply replied “yes.”

The call came in the wake of a ransomware attack over the July 4 weekend in which a Russia-based group called REvil, an abbreviation of “ransomware evil,” hacked a Florida company that provides software to thousands of smaller firms. Russian hackers were also accused of breaching a contractor for the Republican National Committee last week.

“Biden underscored the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia and emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware,” the White House statement said. “President Biden reiterated that the United States will take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge.”

The United States intelligence agencies have said they do not believe that the Russian government was directly involved in the REvil attack. But Mr. Biden and top officials have repeatedly said that they believe Russia should be doing more to disrupt the networks of criminals that launch such attacks.

Mr. Biden said he told Mr. Putin that during a face-to-face meeting in Geneva several weeks ago. And after meeting with his top cyber officials earlier this week, Mr. Biden told reporters that he “will deliver” that message again to Mr. Putin, but he did not make clear when that would happen.

The readout of Friday’s call ended the suspense.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, offered few details about the call beyond what the White House released in the statement. She declined to say what Mr. Putin’s response was during the call.

But she said the call was evidence that Mr. Biden intends to remain in frequent touch with the leader of Russia, in person and otherwise.

“First, let me say that the president is a believer in face-to-face diplomacy when possible, and leader-to-the-leader diplomacy, when that’s not possible, and this is an example of that,” she said.

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Health

WHO urges absolutely vaccinated individuals to proceed to put on masks as variant spreads

Biden administration set to relax outdoor mask guidance

People wear face masks in Central Park on April 10, 2021 in New York City.

Noam Galai | Getty Images

The World Health Organization on Friday urged fully vaccinated people to continue to wear masks, social distance and practice other Covid-19 pandemic safety measures as the highly contagious delta variant spreads rapidly across the globe.

“People cannot feel safe just because they had the two doses. They still need to protect themselves,” Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, said during a news briefing from the agency’s Geneva headquarters.

“Vaccine alone won’t stop community transmission,” Simao added. “People need to continue to use masks consistently, be in ventilated spaces, hand hygiene … the physical distance, avoid crowding. This still continues to be extremely important, even if you’re vaccinated when you have a community transmission ongoing.”

The health organization’s comments come as some countries, including the United States, have largely done away with masks and pandemic-related restrictions as the Covid vaccines have helped drive down the number of new infections and deaths.

The number of new infections in the U.S. has held steady over the last week at an average of 11,659 new cases per day, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Still, new infections have been plummeting over the last several months.

WHO officials said they are asking fully vaccinated people to continue to “play it safe” because a large portion of the world remains unvaccinated and highly contagious variants, like delta, are spreading in many countries, spurring outbreaks.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that about half of adults infected in an outbreak of the delta variant in Israel were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, prompting the government there to reimpose an indoor mask requirement and other measures.

“Yes, you can reduce some measures and different countries have different recommendations in that regard. But there’s still the need for caution,” Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor to the WHO’s director-general, said at the briefing. “As we are seeing, there are new variants emerging.”

The WHO said last week that delta is becoming the dominant variant of the disease worldwide.

WHO officials have said the variant, first found in India but now in at least 92 countries, is the fastest and fittest coronavirus strain yet, and it will “pick off” the most vulnerable people, especially in places with low Covid vaccination rates.

They said there were reports that the delta variant also causes more severe symptoms, but that more research is needed to confirm those conclusions. Still, there are signs the delta strain could provoke different symptoms than other variants.

It has the potential “to be more lethal because it’s more efficient in the way it transmits between humans and it will eventually find those vulnerable individuals who will become severely ill, have to be hospitalized and potentially die,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said Monday.

In the U.S., President Joe Biden said Covid deaths nationwide will continue to rise due to the spread of the “dangerous” delta variant, calling it a “serious concern.”

He warned that Americans who are still unvaccinated are especially at risk.

“Six hundred thousand-plus Americans have died, and with this delta variant you know there’s going to be others as well. You know it’s going to happen. We’ve got to get young people vaccinated,” Biden said Thursday at a community center in Raleigh, North Carolina

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Business

Snowflake CEO urges buyers to be affected person with inventory throughout cloud transition

Snowflake CEO urges investors to be patient with stock during cloud transition

Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman said Wednesday that shareholders need to be patient with the company’s stock because the cloud transition is not happening overnight.

“Our business is really going to conduct itself really over considerable, long periods of time,” Slootman said in an interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer on “Mad Money.” “That’s sort of the message to investors to really understand we’re signing on here for a journey that’s five to 10 years.”

The comments came as shares of Snowflake tumbled as much as 8% in extended trading after the company reported fiscal first-quarter results.

While revenue grew 110% year over year to a better-than-expected $228.9 million, the data-analytics software firm also reported a net loss of $203.2 million. That’s up from $93.6 million in the same period a year earlier. At the same time, Snowflake also raised its full-year guidance for product revenue.

Snowflake went public in September in a record-breaking IPO, with shares closing that initial trading day at $253.93. However, the stock was below that level at Wednesday’s close. Snowflake shares are also down 16% year to date, as investors have rotated out of high-flying growth names into economically sensitive companies that stand to benefit from the Covid recovery.

Despite the recent moves on Wall Street, Slootman stressed that the company’s software is only becoming more important as enterprises shift away from databases tied to hardware.

“These are big, big changes that we are experiencing in the marketplace, and we’re just super happy to be in the middle of that and be an enabler of that,” he said, adding that Snowflake places its focus on growing at scale. “We’re not a growth-at-all-costs company.”

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Politics

Biden urges finish to violence

Biden urges end to violence

President Joe Biden takes a break while speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, United States on Monday, May 10, 2021.

Chris Kleponis | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Deadly violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip intensified Friday as President Joe Biden called for the worst fighting since 2014 to be de-escalated.

“Palestinians – including in Gaza – and Israelis alike deserve to live in dignity, security and security. No family should fear for their safety in their own home or in their place of worship,” the president said in a statement on Friday on the occasion of the Eid holiday and the end of Ramadan.

Israeli forces bombed and sent troops and tanks to the Gaza border after militants fired more rockets into Israeli cities.

At least 119 people, including 31 children, were killed, according to officials in Gaza. Eight people were killed in Israel, including a soldier and some civilians, in air and rocket strikes between the Israeli military and the Hamas militant group that governs the Gaza Strip.

It was the worst outbreak of violence between Israel and the Palestinians since the Gaza war in 2014.

“We think most of the children in these societies who are trauma from a conflict that is far beyond their control,” said Biden. The president added that he would continue to involve Palestinians, Israelis and other regional partners to address the situation.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told a briefing Friday that the government was working to de-escalate the conflict. “We are watching this closely, we will remain closely committed,” she said. “Much of the conversations we have may be behind the scenes.”

“Israel has the right to self-defense,” continued Psaki. “We continue to focus on using every lever available to us to de-escalate the situation on the ground.” She added that US humanitarian aid to Palestinians will continue.

The dramatic escalation followed protests against the possible expulsion of Palestinian families from a neighborhood in East Jerusalem by the Israeli Supreme Court. In Jerusalem last Friday, Israeli security forces clashed with Palestinians’ thrown stones near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, before a trial on Monday in the event of an eviction.

A picture shows the explosion after an Israeli strike against a building in Gaza City on May 14, 2021.

Mahmud Hams | AFP | Getty Images

As tensions increased, the Supreme Court delayed the hearing on the right-wing Israeli case. Monday was also the anniversary of the retaking of East Jerusalem by Israel in the 1967 war and the Muslim observance of Ramadan.

Israel said it would send troops to the Gaza border before a possible ground invasion of the area after four days of ongoing cross-border conflict. In addition to Hamas’ rocket strikes on Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities and Israeli air strikes on Gaza, Jewish and Arab mobs clashed on the streets of several Israeli cities this week, resulting in dozens of arrests.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in a televised address that the escalating conflict had embroiled Israel in two fighting campaigns – in Gaza and in Israeli cities – and reiterated his promise to use armed forces to combat violence in the cities.

Streaks of light are seen as Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts missiles launched into Israel from the Gaza Strip, seen from Ashkelon, Israel, May 12, 2021.

Amir Cohen | Reuters

“I again urge the citizens of Israel not to take the law into their own hands. Anyone who does this will be severely punished,” said Netanyahu. “We will act with full force against enemies from outside and lawbreakers from within in order to restore calm in the state of Israel.”

Netanyahu also thanked Biden and other world leaders on Friday and vowed that Israel “will continue to crack down on Hamas”. “It’s not over yet,” he said. “We will do everything we can to restore the security of our city and our citizens.”

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A ground invasion of Gaza has not yet been announced. Some world leaders and lawmakers have condemned the violence and called for de-escalation to avoid spiraling into all-out war.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin pushed for “senseless civil war” amid urban unrest. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an “immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities” in the region.

“Too many innocent civilians have already died,” Guterres wrote in a tweet. “This conflict can only exacerbate radicalization and extremism across the region.”

The Palestinians are assessing the damage caused by Israeli air strikes on May 14, 2021 in Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip.

Mahmud Hams | AFP | Getty Images

Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee, has called for a ceasefire as soon as possible to prevent further civilian deaths.

“Ground operations will not stop the missiles falling on Israel or resolve the fundamental security challenges Israel is facing,” Murphy said in a statement Thursday. “Only a short-term ceasefire and a real path to a viable long-term future with two states can do this.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Wednesday that the US is sending the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel and Palestinian Affairs to urge Israelis and Palestinians to de-escalate the violence.

The U.S. State Department on Thursday also raised its travel advice for Israel, citing armed conflict and civil unrest and urging people not to travel to Gaza because of Covid-19 and conflict.

– Reuters and Associated Press contributed to the coverage

Israeli artillery soldiers gather near the Israeli-Gaza border on the Israeli side on May 14, 2021.

Amir Cohen | Reuters

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Biden urges mother and father to get children vaccinated after CDC panel endorses shot

Biden urges parents to get kids vaccinated after CDC panel endorses shot

United States President Joe Biden makes remarks on the Covid-19 response and vaccination program on May 12, 2021 in the South Court Auditorium of the White House, Washington, DC.

Nicholas Comb | AFP | Getty Images

President Joe Biden urged parents on Wednesday to vaccinate their children just before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the use of the Pfid and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for teens ages 12-15.

The previous Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued its recommendation, which was accepted 14-0 with one abstention. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gave final approval to the approval later that day.

Speaking at a press conference, Biden said the approval was “another big step in our fight against the pandemic”.

Almost 17 million Americans can now get vaccinated, Biden said during a speech on the White House’s Covid-19 response and vaccination campaign. “I encourage each of them and their parents to get their vaccination shots right away,” he said.

In the clinical study of 12-15 year olds, the vaccine was found to be 100% effective at two doses. The most commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site and in joints and muscles, fatigue, headache, chills and fever, said Pfizer scientist Dr. John Perez told the CDC panel on Wednesday. Side effects usually subsided within a day or two, he said.

The Biden government is working to make the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine available in more locations in the United States, including pediatrician offices and local pharmacies, according to senior government officials.

The CDC, in partnership with states, has made efforts to enroll more pediatricians and general practitioners as Covid vaccination providers to expand access to shots in the coming weeks. The CDC will also work with community health centers to provide vaccinations for adolescents.

The CDC panel’s approval comes ahead of the summer camp season and July 4th – a date the Biden government hopes will mark a turning point in the nation’s fight against the virus. According to the Johns Hopkins University, more than 3.3 million people have died of Covid-19 worldwide, almost 600,000 of them in the United States.

Vaccinating children is seen as critical to ending the pandemic. The nation is unlikely to achieve herd immunity – if enough people in a given community have antibodies to a given disease – until children can be vaccinated, health officials and experts say.

As of Tuesday, more than 150 million Americans ages 18 and older had received at least one dose, according to the CDC. Around 115 million American adults are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. About 13% of adults say they definitely won’t get a vaccine, while 21% say they will “wait and see” or just get one if needed, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.