Friday morning news - December 10, 2021

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Biden sounds alarm about global democracy at virtual summit » At the White House on Thursday, President Biden called on democratic leaders around the world to “lock arms” against authoritarianism.

BIDEN: Will we allow the backwards slide of rights and democracy to continue unchecked. Or will we together, together have a vision and courage to once more lead the march of human progress and human freedom forward.

The president heard there kicking off the two-day virtual meeting with more than 100 world leaders, which he is calling the Summit for Democracy.

Biden said of global freedoms—quote—“The data we’re seeing is largely pointing in the wrong direction.”

And he announced he was launching an initiative to spend up to $424 million for programming around the world that supports independent media, anti-corruption work and more.

But some lawmakers on Capitol Hill questioned the president’s guest list for the summit. Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar…

SALAZAR: Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, these are your allies. They have democratic governments. They’re in your backyard. Is this a slap in the face to those democracies?

Not surprisingly, the White House did not invite China or Russia, irking both of those leaders. Ambassadors from those two countries wrote a joint essay saying the Biden administration is exhibiting a—quote—“Cold-War mentality.”

Russia military chief warns Ukraine against attacking rebels » Meantime, Russia's top military officer threatened Ukraine on Thursday as a Russian diplomat warned of a new Cuban Missile Crisis. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Gen. Valery Gerasimov sternly warned neighboring Ukraine against trying to retake areas within Ukraine that Russian-backed separatists now control.

The general said Moscow will—quote—“suppress” any such attempt.

His statement comes amid soaring tensions over a Russian troop buildup near the Ukrainian border.

A senior Russian diplomat doubled down on Gerasimov's warning. He said mounting tensions could push Russia and the West to a standoff similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

U.S. intelligence officials say Russia has stationed about 70,000 troops near its border with Ukraine and has begun planning for a possible invasion as soon as early next year.

President Biden has warned of heavy economic sanctions against Russia should it invade Ukraine.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Biden, top leaders honor Bob Dole at Capitol ceremony » A musical tribute at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday as longtime senator Bob Dole lay in state.

The morning ceremony brought about 100 invited guests as Dole's casket, draped with an American flag, rested under the dome.

President Biden praised the longtime Republican Senator as a—quote—“giant of our history.”

BIDEN: Bob and I, like many of us here, we disagreed on a number of things, but not on any of the fundamental things. We still found a way to work together. We genuinely, we genuinely respected one another as colleagues.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recalled Dole’s legendary wit and sense of humor.

MCCONNELL: Bob described is Senate management challenges with his trademark wit. ‘If I had known,’ he said ‘that we were going to win control of the Senate, we would have run better candidates.’

Dole, a World War II veteran, served nearly 36 years in Congress, and was the GOP nominee for president in 1996. He died on Sunday at the age of 98.

President Biden and other current and former leaders in Washington will join the Dole family for a private service this morning at Washington National Cathedral.

Unemployment claims plummet » The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits plunged last week to the lowest level in 52 years. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: The Labor Dept. reported Thursday that new jobless claims dropped by 43,000 to 184,000 last week—the lowest since 1969.

The four-week moving average also fell to just below 219,000. And that is the lowest since the pandemic began.

Economists note that seasonal volatility likely played a part in the drop as the Labor Department adjusted the numbers to reflect job market fluctuations around the holidays. Before seasonal adjustments, claims actually rose by nearly 64,000.

But overall, claims are trending downward and the unfilled demand for workers is much bigger than it was before the pandemic began.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

FDA authorizes Pfizer boosters for teens » The FDA has authorized COVID-19 booster shots for teens aged 16 and up.

That means they could soon be eligible for a third shot, but the CDC will have the final word on that with a decision expected soon.

Scientists disagree about whether young people really need boosters.

Pfizer’s data does show that protection wanes after six months and that booster shots restore that protection. But it’s still unclear how well current vaccines protect against the omicron variant.

While U.S. officials are promoting booster shots, the World Health Organization continues to push back. The WHO’s vaccine chief, Dr. Kate O’Brien said we must ensure poorer countries have access to vaccines before giving booster shots in wealthier ones.

O’BRIEN: We are not going to get out of this unless we actually have true vaccine equity and distribution of vaccines in a timely fashion to every country around the world.

The WHO says omicron is further proof that countries with low vaccination rates are breeding grounds for variants.

I’m Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

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