News Wrap: COVID vaccinations begin for children under age 5

Judy Woodruff:

The long wait is over for families wishing to vaccinate their youngest children against COVID-19.

Starting today, kids from 6 months to 5 years old were able to receive a child-sized dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine in a few locations. Shots are expected to ramp up after the Juneteenth federal holiday.

White House COVID response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated.

Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator:

We're lucky to have two choices. They're both exceedingly safe. They're both effective. If you really — so, either one is fine.

If you — there are some nuanced, subtle differences. You can talk to your family physician or pediatrician about them. But we have got two good choices here.

Judy Woodruff:

So far, the pace of child COVID vaccinations has been slow compared to older populations. Less than a third of children ages 5 to 11 have been vaccinated since they were given the green light last November.

President Biden said today that he hopes to make a decision on whether to pause the federal gas tax by the end of this week. The move could save consumers as much as 18 cents a gallon. That comes as his administration is working to curb soaring inflation.

In Ethiopia, witnesses now say the gun massacre targeting the ethnic Amhara people over the weekend left at least 260 civilians dead. The attack happened in the western Oromia region. It is believed to be one of the deadliest in Ethiopia's recent memory. Both residents and the regional government blame the Oromo Liberation Army. The rebel group has denied responsibility.

Meanwhile, in West Africa, the Mali government said that Islamist militants killed at least 132 villagers in the central part of the country over the weekend in multiple attacks. The security situation has been deteriorating there as the decade-long extremist insurgency grows.

To Ukraine, where Russian forces have unleashed a fresh barrage of attacks. In the Eastern Donbas, they captured a town along a river that is key to taking the Luhansk region. Explosions also hit a food warehouse in the southern port city of Odessa, as Russia targets Ukraine's food supplies.

And, in Northeastern Kharkiv, a Russian ballistic missile struck a veterinary academy, leaving workers in despair.

Irina Bakumenko, Kharkiv Zoo Veterinary Academy (through translator):

I want to close my eyes and, after opening them, see that nothing has changed. Everything is still like when it was during the old happy days. I cannot convey feelings with words. It is not just emotions, but like my soul is crying.

Judy Woodruff:

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy predicted that Moscow's attacks would intensify ahead of this week's European summit to decide whether Ukraine will join the European Union.

Severe monsoon flooding has ravaged huge swathes of Northeastern India and Bangladesh, killing dozens and damaging millions of homes. Local authorities estimate the floods have displaced more than nine million people. The unusually high rainfall submerged entire villages. Residents have had to wade through their homes to save as many belongings as they can.

Muhit Ahmed, Businessman (through translator):

There isn't much to say about the situation. You can see the water with your own eyes. The water level inside the room has dropped a bit, but it used to be up to my waist. On all, we are in a great disaster.

Judy Woodruff:

The season will storms have also triggered deadly landslide and lightning strikes across the region.

Israel is once again headed for a new election, its fifth in just three years. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his main coalition partner, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, agreed today to dissolve Parliament. Bennett had struggled to keep his political coalition together, leaving his alliance without a majority in the Knesset. Lapid will serve as a caretaker prime minister until the election is held this fall.

And back in this country, the Biden administration has reached an unprecedented agreement with five Native American tribes to co-manage the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service signed the deal on Saturday with tribal leaders. After centuries of living in that area, the tribes will now have more input into the monument's day-to-day management.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": 40 years after Vincent Chin's murder, we examine the state of Asian American civil rights; Tamara Keith and Amy Walter weigh in on the latest political headlines; we remember the life and career of longtime "NewsHour" analyst Mark Shields; plus much more.