JUDY WOODRUFF: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first new drug to treat
Alzheimer's disease in nearly two decades.
Federal health officials said that it may help slow the brain-destroying disease's progression.
But the approval goes against the agency's independent advisers, who said that the treatment
wasn't effective in clinical trials. We will have more on this after the news summary.
The Justice Department has now recovered a majority of the cryptocurrency payment given
to hackers after last month's Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. The Bitcoin ransom, which
is currently valued at $2.3 million, was seized from the Russia-based hacker group DarkSide.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco made the announcement this afternoon.
LISA MONACO, U.S. Deputy Attorney General: By going after the entire ecosystem that fuels
ransomware and digital extortion attacks, including criminal proceeds in the form of
digital currency, we will continue to use all of our tools and all of our resources
to increase the cost and the consequences of ransomware attacks and other cyber-enabled
attacks.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline forced the company to shut down its
operations for five days, triggering major shortages at gas stations up and down the
East Coast.
Vice President Harris was in Guatemala today to discuss the surge in immigration from Central
America to the U.S. It was her first foreign trip since taking office. She met with President
Alejandro Giammattei in Guatemala City. They discussed economic opportunity, anti-human
trafficking measures, and a new U.S.-backed task force to fight corruption in the region.
KAMALA HARRIS, Vice President of the United States: There are many reasons why this is
one of our highest priorities, which I think the people of Guatemala know well, and the
people of the United States understand well.
If we are to be effective, if we are to be true to our principles, we must root our corruption
wherever it exists.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The president will meet with the president of Mexico tomorrow.
Back in this country, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that people who immigrated
illegally to the U.S. for humanitarian reasons are ineligible to apply for a green card to
become permanent residents. The court also decided not to take up a case to determine
if the U.S. military draft discriminates against men, in that only men are required to register
when they turn 18.
In Southern Pakistan, at least 51 people died and more than 100 others were injured after
a pre-dawn collision between two express trains. One of the trains derailed in the city of
Ghotki shortly before the second train crashed into it. Rescue crews rushed to find survivors
trapped in the wreckage. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause.
The death toll from a jihadi extremist attack on a village in Northern Burkina Faso Friday
night has risen to at least 132 people. Insurgents burned down homes and the local market, while
shooting at villagers. Many of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals to be treated
for bullet wounds and burns.
The regional governor called it a tragedy.
SALFO KABORE, Governor, Sahel Region, Burkina Faso (through translator): A man in shock
is speaking to you right now. You have seen the injured. There's even a little girl who
is less than 5 years old. You saw men and women who got shot in the back.
These types of actions have no human soul. No one can watch this and go home and sleep
in peace.
JUDY WOODRUFF: It was the deadliest attack on civilians the West African nation had seen
in years. So far, there's been no claim of responsibility.
India began a partial reopening today after new COVID-19 infections dropped to their lowest
level in two months. New Delhi and Mumbai eased lockdown measures for businesses and
shops, while the Delhi metro transit system resumed service at half-capacity. That comes
after a surge in April and May killed 4,000 people per day at its peak.
We will look at India's COVID outbreak later in the program.
Stocks were mixed on Wall Street today. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 126 points
to close at 34630, the Nasdaq rose 67 points,and the S&P 500 slipped three.
And billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will be flying into space next month on a
rocket made by his space company, Blue Origin. He will be joined by his brother and the highest
bidder in a charity auction. The trip to space and back will take just 10 minutes and will
launch on July the 20th.
Still to come on the "NewsHour": what you need to know about a controversial new Alzheimer's
drug; protests intensify as a new pipeline threatens indigenous lands in Minnesota; members
of the South Asian diaspora try to help loved ones amid the COVID surge; plus much more.