News Wrap: Johnson & Johnson asks FDA to approve its COVID-19 booster shot

Judy Woodruff:

A one-time Facebook employee has painted a damning portrait of the social media giant. At a U.S. Senate hearing today, Frances Haugen charged, the company puts profit before people, harms children and lies about it. She said nothing will change unless Congress forces action.

We will get the details after the news summary.

The Senate is headed for a new confrontation over raising the federal debt ceiling. Democrats said today that they are willing to pass it on their own tomorrow to prevent a national default. But Republicans are insisting on a more complicated process and vow to block anything short of that.

Their leaders spoke outside the Senate chamber.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY):

We do not have the luxury of using a drawn-out, convoluted and risky process. We could prevent a catastrophic default with a simple majority vote tomorrow. If Republicans would just get out of the damn way, we could get this all done.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY):

I implore them one more time not to play Russian roulette with the American economy. We have been down this path before, when we did not have a divided government, and the party in the majority got the job done.

Judy Woodruff:

Meanwhile, President Biden ventured to Michigan to push his infrastructure and social spending bills.

Democratic moderates and progressives remain at odds over the measures.

On the pandemic, Johnson & Johnson asked the FDA today to allow boosters for its single-shot COVID vaccine. And AstraZeneca requested authorization for a first-of-its-kind antibody treatment. It's meant to prevent infections in immunocompromised people.

The Coast Guard now says that something dragged a pipeline that spilled oil off Southern California over the weekend. A section of the line was moved about 100 feet and divers found a 13-inch gash. They are investigating whether a ship anchor did the damage.

The Coast Guard also confirms that it did not investigate initial reports of an oil sheen on Friday. Its officials cited lack of evidence and darkness.

In France, an independent commission estimates that 330,000 children were sexually abused in the country's Roman Catholic Church over 70 years. Today's report said some 3,000 priests and an unknown number of others were involved.

In Paris, the leader of French Catholic bishops said they are appalled at the finding.

Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, President, Conference of Bishops of France (through translator):

What has been brought to light is frightening, and it has to be completely brought to light. And so I ask forgiveness with all my heart. And I am well aware that, to get this forgiveness, we still have to work with regard to the immense number that were implicated.

Judy Woodruff:

Leaders of victims groups said the report shows cover-ups that allowed mass crimes.

The Nobel Prize for physics will be shared by three scientists for work related to climate change. Japan's Syukuro Manabe, based at Princeton University, and Germany's Klaus Hasselmann created models that predict global warming. Giorgio Parisi of Italy decoded complex behaviors that can help explain forces of nature.

In China, doubts over huge debts in the real estate sector intensified today, when a midsize developer missed a $205 million payment. Markets were already fearful that real estate giant Evergrande Group could collapse under $310 billion of debt.

Wall Street fought its way back, as tech stocks recouped some of Monday's losses. Major indexes were up nearly 1 percent or more. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 311 points to close at 34314. The Nasdaq rose 178 points. The S&P 500 added 45.

And a Russian actor and director blasted off today to make the world's first movie while in orbit. They launched from Kazakstan, along with a Russian cosmonaut. Later, they docked with the International Space Station, and will spend 12 days aloft. The movie is about a surgeon who has to save a crew member in space.