Monday morning news - April 26, 2021

Johnson and Johnson shots resume » COVID-19 vaccine clinics across the country resumed use of the Johnson & Johnson shot over the weekend. On Friday, federal health officials lifted an 11-day hold on the vaccine.

Dr. Francis Collins, who directs the National Institutes of Health, told NBC’s Meet the Press the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risk of blood clots.

COLLINS: Someone has pointed out, you are less likely as a woman taking J&J to have this blood clotting problem than to be struck by lightning next year. So, it’s a really low risk.

The government paused use of the Johnson &Johnson shot after 15 women developed a highly unusual blood clot. Three died and seven remain hospitalized.

But 8 million people have had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, making the likelihood of developing the clots extremely rare.

More than 50 percent of Americans have had at least one vaccine dose so far. And health officials hope resuming use of the single-dose J&J shot will boost those numbers. White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC’s This Week that could make a difference in pandemic restrictions.

FAUCCI: I think it’s pretty common sense now that outdoor risk is really really low. Particularly, I mean, if you are a vaccinated person, wearing a mask outdoors, I mean obviously the risk is miniscule.

Fauci said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could soon issue new guidance on wearing masks in public.

Biden recognizes Armenian genocide »

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Armenian Americans gathered in Southern California on Saturday to remember family members killed by the Ottoman Empire more than a century ago.

An estimated 1.5 million Armenian Christians died in the ethnic cleansing campaign during World War I.

President Biden marked the day by recognizing the systematic killing as a genocide. He was the first sitting U.S. president to do so. Those who gathered in Los Angeles celebrated the milestone.

SOUND: I'm happy that my children are witnessing the day. We worked very hard to see America recognize the Armenian genocide. And so this is a new beginning for us. I feel it's a new beginning for my children.

Successive American presidents had avoided using the term genocide in deference to Turkey, a NATO ally. Turkey contends both sides suffered casualties in the conflict.

Following the White House announcement, Turkey’s foreign ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador in Ankara to condemn Biden’s use of the term.

Hospital fire kills dozens in Iraq »

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Fire ripped through the intensive care unit of a Baghdad hospital on Saturday after an oxygen cylinder exploded. At least 82 people died and more than 100 suffered injuries.

Most of the victims were being treated for severe cases of COVID-19.

Iraq’s prime minister blamed the fire on widespread negligence. Following a special cabinet meeting, the government suspended key officials, including the health minister and the governor of Baghdad province.

Iraq is struggling through a second wave of coronavirus cases. Daily case counts now average around 8,000. That’s the highest level since the country began keeping records early last year.

Indonesia locates wreckage of missing sub » The Indonesian military has located the wreckage of a submarine missing since last week.

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The military chief said all 53 crew members are dead.

The vessel disappeared during a routine training mission off the coast of Bali. Crews from Singapore, Australia, and the United States joined the search effort in hopes of finding the sub before the crew ran out of oxygen.

But after locating the wreckage in three pieces on the ocean floor, Indonesian officials said it was clear no one could have survived the accident. The submarine is sitting more than 27-hundred feet below the surface. That’s four times the depth its hull was built to withstand.

Academy Awards » Hollywood gathered for the 93rd Academy Awards Sunday night. But the annual Oscars ceremony looked very different from years past. WORLD’s Leigh Jones reports.

LEIGH JONES, REPORTER: No crowds gathered to watch celebrities parade down the red carpet. No host moved the event along. And no audience, other than the nominees themselves, stood to cheer for the winners.

But the biggest pandemic-related change came in the types of films that took home awards. For the first time, movies didn’t need a theatrical run to score a nomination.

Top honors went to Nomadland, a drama about itinerant life in the American West. It won best picture, and director Chloé Zhao made history for winning the best director award. She is only the second woman to win in that category and the first woman of color.

Frances McDormand won best actress for her role in Nomadland. And Anthony Hopkins won best actor for his role in The Father.

Yuh-Jung Youn became the first Korean actress to win an Academy Award. She was named best supporting actress for her role in Minari. Daniel Kaluuya won best supporting actor for Judas and the Black Messiah.

And Pixar scored its 11th best animated feature Oscar for Soul.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leigh Jones.

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