Wednesday morning news - May 12, 2021

U.S. job openings soar to highest level on record » U.S. job openings have soared to their highest level on record.

The Labor Department on Tuesday reported job gains increased only modestly, even as employers lament a severe shortage of workers.

The news comes as several states have announced plans to end so-called enhanced unemployment benefits. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster he’s heard from many businesses with ‘Help Wanted’ signs in the window.

MCMASTER: They’re looking for people to work, and the people just won’t come to work because they’re getting as much money, or more in some cases, by staying home.

The $300 per week federal boost to unemployment aid started at the height of COVID-19 shutdowns. But the Republican governor said companies are now open for business, and it’s time to end that program. His state will do so next month, as will at least eight other GOP-led states.

The Labor Department reports that job openings rose to 8.1 million in March. That’s a gain of nearly 8 percent, the most on record. Yet overall hiring rose only 4 percent.

A separate survey of small businesses by the National Federation of Independent Business found that 44 percent had jobs they couldn't fill. That’s also a record high.

Still the White House maintains that enhanced unemployment benefits aren’t the reason. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the president believes the real cause is …

PSAKI: A range of issues, including primarily the fact that we’re continuing to fight a pandemic. And there are a lot of implications of that. One of them is people being fearful about being safe if they’re not vaccinated. One is childcare.

Tuesday’s report follows a far weaker than expected jobs report on Friday.

Some gas stations run out of fuel following pipeline shutdown » More than 1,000 gas stations in the Southeast have reported running out of fuel this week.

Analysts say the sporadic shortages are due to panic-buying among drivers after news that a cyberattack forced the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline.

That pipeline delivers almost half of the fuel consumed on the East Coast.

Government officials waived environmental rules to speed the delivery of fuel by truck, ship or rail. But motorists may still feel a crunch because it takes a few days to ramp up operations.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters at the White House Tuesday that by the end of the day today…

GRANHOLM: Colonial will be in a position to make a full restart decision. But even after that decision is made, it will take a few days to restart operations. This pipeline has never been shut down before.

Experts don’t expect a significant increase in gas prices as long as the pipeline is back up and running soon, as expected.

Republicans to vote on removing Liz Cheney from leadership » House Republicans will vote today on whether to remove Congresswoman Liz Cheney from her leadership post.

Cheney is the number three ranked Republican in the House. But her ongoing feud with former President Donald Trump has placed her politically on very thin ice which may now be giving way.

Other GOP leaders are worried about alienating Trump supporters ahead of next year’s election.

North Carolina Congressman Greg Murphy seems to speak for many Republicans right now. He called Cheney a respected friend, but…

MURPHY: What I think the conference believes right now is that she’s not the best one to move forward. And I think there’s a lot of support that’s gathering around Elise Stefanik to be that messenger, to be that uniter.

New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik could soon replace Cheney in House leadership.

But some GOP lawmakers stand with Cheney and plan to vote “no” on removing her.

Violence escalates in Israeli-Palestinian conflict » Violent conflict continued in the Middle East on Tuesday. Hamas militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel. And the Israeli military unleashed new airstrikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Stip.

SOUND: GAZA NATS

An unknown number of people died in the Gaza Strip, and Hamas rocket attacks killed at least three people in Israel.

The conflict appeared to be some of the most intense fighting between Israel and Hamas since their 2014 war.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden’s team is engaging “intesively” with senior Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

PSAKI: His team is communicating a clear and consistent message in support of deescalation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the fighting would continue for some time. In a speech Tuesday, he said Hamas and Islamic Jihad “have paid, and will pay, a heavy price” for deadly attacks in Israel.

At least nine people dead after school attack in Russia » At least nine people are dead, including seven children after a gunman attacked a school in Russia. WORLD’s Leigh Jones has that story.

LEIGH JONES, REPORTER: The attacker opened fire at a school Tuesday in the city of Kazan, about 400 miles east of Moscow. In addition to the dead, at least 21 others are hospitalized, six in grave condition.

Authorities arrested the attacker, identified only as a 19-year old former student at the school.

Investigators found violent posts from the attacker on a messaging app. He reportedly vowed to kill a large number of people.

President Vladimir Putin reacted by ordering the head of the country's National Guard to revise regulations on the types of weapons civilians are allowed to own.

The Russian government announced a day of mourning on Wednesday and canceled all classes in Kazan schools.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leigh Jones.

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