1 United States May Go It Alone In Banning Russian Oil
Internal discussions are going on at the White House and NATO regarding an oil import against Russia. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the Biden administration is continuing to take steps in giving economic consequences to Russian President Vladimir Putin while avoiding prices at home surging. Psaki says no decision has been made – but what’s already apparent? The U.S. may be going it alone. Apparently, President Biden had a video conference call with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom – and they’re all considering their options. This, as Russia says it may cut off its main gas pipeline to Germany if Western allies enact a ban oil…promising prices more than double to 300-dollars a barrel. The European Union gets about 40% of its gas and 30% of its oil from Russia. The U.S., by comparison, gets around three percent of its oil from Moscow.
2 Shooting Near IA School Kills One, Injures Two Students
Police in Iowa are holding possible suspects in a shooting that took place in front of a school. Officials report that someone in a car drove by and opened fire, hitting three teens. Sadly, a 15-year-old boy who did not attend the school died – and two girls who are students remain in critical condition. The principle called this "everyone's worst nightmare" and urged parents to hug their kids. She'll have a grief team on campus all week but the school will be closed remain. “Our entire community is in mourning right now," Des Moines Superintendent Thomas Ahart says in a statement. "We do not have young lives to spare in Des Moines.” The names of the victims or the suspects haven’t been released.
3 CDC’s Walensky Predicts COVID-19 Will Be Seasonal
The director of the CDC believes that people will have to deal with the coronavirus on an annual basis. Speaking to NBC News, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said she's predicting that COVID-19 "is probably going to be a seasonal virus." As far as the CDC's new direction of mask wearing, Walensky said to keep face coverings handy and "hope that we don't" need to use them. The remarks come as the agency said 90% of U.S. residents can stop wearing face masks as cases continue to trend downward. What’s that mean for Americans as a whole? "This virus will probably continue to circulate in our society, in our country, around the world for years to come," Dr. Henry Walke, the director of the CDC's Center for Preparedness and Response notes. "This next six months, the next year, will really inform us in terms of what living with this virus is going to look like."