1 Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Takes Effect
Israel and the militant group Hamas are putting down their weapons after eleven days of fighting. The ceasefire that is now in effect brings an end to days of back and forth airstrikes and rocket attacks. Over the course of the conflict, militants in the Gaza Strip fired thousands of rockets at Israel, Israel responded with airstrikes. President Biden is among those celebrating the ceasefire, which is described as "mutual and unconditional.” Biden said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and commended him for bringing the conflict to a close after eleven days. He reiterated to Netanyahu that Israel has the right to defend itself against rocket attacks by Hamas.Biden says he prays for everyone impacted by the conflict and said he believes there's a real opportunity for progress.
2 New York, Maryland Announce COVID Vaccine Lotteries
Not vaccinated yet? Need motivation? A number of states are giving folks who have their COVID-19 vaccinations the chance to win big cash prizes – with Maryland and New York being the latest to join the club. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says those who get vaccinated will get free scratch-off lottery tickets that could pay out as much as five-million-dollars. Maryland also announced a lottery program, putting up two-million-bucks for a series of 40-thousand-dollar prizes. There will also be a drawing for a bigger 400-thousand-dollar jackpot. Ohio started the trend with plans to hold five drawings for one-million-dollar prizes. According to the CDC, the average daily pace of coronavirus vaccinations is down almost 50% from its April peak. More than 160-million people – about 48% of the American population – have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, and nearly 127-million people – about 38% of the population – are fully vaccinated.
3 Trump Admin Secretly Obtained CNN Correspondent's Phone, Email Records
A CNN correspondent has learned the Trump administration sought and obtained her phone and email records as it worked to track down leaks to the press. The Justice Department informed CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr earlier that Trump prosecutors had collected two months of her communications data. It was from Starr's Pentagon extension, CNN's Pentagon booth phone number, her home and cell phones, and her personal email accounts between June and July of 2017. The Justice Department says the Trump administration sought Starr's records through the courts last year. While the reasoning behind the collecting the information hasn’t been revealed, CNN says Starr, as a Pentagon correspondent was involved in reporting on "U.S. military options in North Korea that were ready to be presented to Trump, as well as stories on Syria and Afghanistan." CNN President Jeff Zucker condemned the action and wants “an immediate meeting with the Justice Department for an explanation.”