MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE HAVE DIED AND HUNDREDS ARE MISSING FOLLOWING DEVASTATING FLOODING IN WESTERN EUROPE. A HUGE SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION IS ONGOING IN GERMANY, BELGIUM, LUXEMBOURG AND THE NETHERLANDS. DRIER WEATHER IS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND, LIKELY GIVING RESIDENTS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THEIR SEARCH FOR MISSING PEOPLE AS WELL AS PROVIDE TIME TO CLEAR DEBRIS.
TOKYO REPORTS ITS FIRST CASE OF COVID-19 IN THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE WITH THE GAMES LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY. TOKYO'S CEO SAYS THE INDIVIDUAL IS A FOREIGN NATIONAL AND IS NOT BELIEVED TO BE AN ATHLETE. SO FAR, THERE HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF 45 COVID-19 CASES LINKED TO THE TOKYO OLYMPICS, WITH ATHLETES, OFFICIALS AND CONTRACTORS TESTING POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS.
President Joe Biden: "They're killing people. I mean they're really.. look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated." CONTVO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS BLAMING MISINFORMATION SPREADING ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ABOUT THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF COVID-19 VACCINES. THE NATION IS FACING A CRISIS IN THE SURGE OF CORONAVIRUS CASES IN ALL FIFTY STATES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE JANUARY.. WITH CASE RATES THE HIGHEST IN STATES WITH LOW VACCINATION RATES. SOT: Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary: "Our biggest concern here, and I frankly think it should be your biggest concern, is the number of people who are dying around the country because they're getting misinformation that is leading them to not take a vaccine." CONTVO THE UNITED STATES IS JUST SHY OF HAVING HALF THE POPULATION VACCINATED.
