Nearly 9,000 troops are on standby to deploy to Europe if Russia invades Ukraine. President Biden could make a decision as early as this week. He spoke with world leaders yesterday and says they agreed to swift sanctions against Russia if it does indeed attack.
While the COVID crisis is on track to enter a new phase later this year. The World Health Organization says the emergency part of the pandemic could end if 70-percent of the world is vaccinated. Right now, the number is about 62-percent, but only for at least one dose. The head of the organization warns it’s dangerous to assume omicron will be the last variant, saying conditions are ideal for more to emerge. Several experts say the surge has yet to peak across the entire nation. That’s expected to happen for most states sometime next month.
This is the latest news.
Here’s Mark Mayfield.