World Stocks Mixed on Variant Risks 08/04 05:37
World Stocks Mixed on Variant Risks 08/04 05:37 World stocks were mixed Wednesday as concerns about the risk of the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus set in. SINGAPORE (AP) -- World stocks were mixed Wednesday as concerns about the risk of the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus set in. Wall Street positioned for losses, with futures for the S&P 500 index slipping 0.1% to 4,410.75 despite expectations of continued strong corporate earnings. Those for the Dow also shed 0.1% to 34,955.00. European traders were more upbeat. France's CAC 40 added 0.5% in early trading to 6,757.93 while Germany's DAX was 0.7% higher at 15,658.05. The FTSE 100 in Britain picked up 0.3% to 7,128.05. The European rises followed a buoyant Asian session, in which indexes shrugged off a coronavirus outbreak in China. While China's current outbreak is relatively small, it is the worst it has had since the pandemic's emergence in the central city of Wuhan a year and a half ago. The Kospi in South Korea rose 1.3% to 3,280.38, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong climbed 0.9% to 26,426.55. The Shanghai Composite index gained 0.9% to 3,477.22. Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.4% higher at 7,503.20. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 0.2% to 27,584.08, however. Shares rose elsewhere in Asia with the exception of Malaysia. "It may be that markets are astutely betting on rising vaccinations dampening COVID risks. But the danger is if it is merely a case of solid U.S. earnings papering over COVID risks," said Venkateswaran Lavanya of Mizuho Bank. Corporate earnings have boosted sentiments ahead of U.S. jobs data due Friday. Roughly nine out of 10 companies on the S&P 500 index have posted earnings that beat analysts' expectations. Over 100 more companies will announce results this week. However, concerns are brewing over a Chinese crackdown on technology companies, Edward Moya of Oanda said. "US-listed Chinese companies are getting battered as some investors don't have the stomach for this regulatory shakedown," he added. Shares of the Nasdaq-listed Alibaba Group slipped 1.4% on Tuesday. Internet search giant Baidu Inc. fell 1.5%. Both companies were set for gains at Wednesday's opening bell. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude added 1 cent to $70.57 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the price basis for international oils, gained 17 cents to $72.58 per barrel in London. The U.S. dollar advanced to 109.18 yen from 109.05 yen on Tuesday. The euro fell to $1.1852 from $1.1868.
Biden Chides GOP Govs Over Vaccine Rule08/04 06:08
Biden Chides GOP Govs Over Vaccine Rule08/04 06:08 President Joe Biden called on resistant Republican governors to "get out of the way" of vaccine rules aimed at containing the more transmissible and dangerous COVID-19 variant. He backed city and private mandates requiring people to be vaccinated to go about some daily activities. WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Joe Biden called on resistant Republican governors to "get out of the way" of vaccine rules aimed at containing the more transmissible and dangerous COVID-19 variant. He backed city and private mandates requiring people to be vaccinated to go about some daily activities. Speaking Tuesday from the White House, Biden sharply criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other officials who have moved to block the reimposition of mask mandates to slow the delta strain of the virus. The strain is surging in their states and other parts of the country that have large numbers of unvaccinated people. "If you're not going to help, at least get out of the way of people trying to do the right thing," Biden said. Biden endorsed New York City's move to require vaccinations to dine indoors or go to the gym, as well as corporate moves to require vaccines to return to work, and said more localities and businesses should follow suit. Such policies have been barred to varying degrees in at least seven GOP-led states. A rise in infections in the U.S., fueled by the highly contagious delta strain of the virus, led U.S. public health officials last week to recommend that even people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 resume wearing face coverings in some public indoor settings. After months of dangling carrots of incentive to Americans to get vaccinated -- including million- dollar cash lotteries and opportunities to earn free college tuition -- the Biden administration is looking to wield a stick by making it harder for people to remain unvaccinated without seeing their daily lives disrupted. As he seeks to drive up vaccinations at home, Biden is also spotlighting his administration's progress in sharing shots with the rest of the world -- an initiative helped in part by the slowed pace of domestic vaccination that has increased the nation's stockpile of doses. Roughly 90 million eligible Americans aged 12 and over have yet to receive one dose of vaccine. Biden announced that the U.S. has donated and shipped more than 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 60 countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Zambia. "Vaccinate America and help vaccinate the world," Biden said, "That's how we're going to beat this thing." Biden has promised that the U.S. will be the "arsenal of vaccines" for the world, but while notable, the 110 million doses the U.S. has donated largely through a global vaccine program known as COVAX represent a fraction of what is needed worldwide. The White House said in a statement Tuesday that U.S. at the end of August will begin shipping 500 million doses of Pfizer vaccine that it has pledged to 100 low-income countries by June 2022. Biden had pledged to ship more than 80 million doses overseas by the end of June, but had only been able to share a fraction of that due to logistical and regulatory hurdles in recipient countries. The pace of shipments picked up significantly through July. Under Biden's sharing plan, about 75% of U.S. doses are shared through COVAX, which aims to help lower- and middle-income nations, with the balance being sent to U.S. partners and allies. The White House insists that nothing is being sought in return for the shots, contrasting its approach to Russia and China, which it alleges have used access to their domestically produced vaccines as a tool of geopolitical leverage.
Attack on Afghan Minister Kills 8 08/04 06:11
Attack on Afghan Minister Kills 8 08/04 06:11 KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A bombing attack that targeted Afghanistan's acting defense minister killed at least eight people and wounded 20, authorities said Wednesday. The deputy minister was not hurt in the attack claimed by Taliban insurgents. The blast went off late Tuesday in a heavily guarded upscale neighborhood of the capital of Kabul. It was followed by a gun battle that also left four militants dead, authorities said. The casualty toll could rise, Interior Ministry spokesperson Mirwais Stanekzai said Wednesday. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a statement Wednesday claimed responsibility for the attack. It came as the insurgent group presses ahead with an offensive that is putting pressure on provincial capitals in the south and west of the country. Mujahid said the attack was revenge for recent attacks by Afghan national forces in various provinces that he said caused civilian casualties and displacement. Stanekzai said it appeared the guesthouse of acting Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi was targeted in the attack but he was not hurt. Mohammadi's Jamiat-e-Islami party was told the minister was not in the guesthouse at the time and his family had been safely evacuated. All four attackers were shot and killed after five hours of fighting, Stanekzai said. Stanekzai said the attack took place in the posh Sherpur neighborhood, located in a section of the capital known as the Green Zone, where security is tight. It is home to several senior government officials. Hours after Tuesday night's attack, the Defense Ministry released a video in which Mohammadi said his guards had been wounded in a suicide attack. "I assure my beloved countrymen that such attacks cannot have any impact on my willingness to defend my countrymen and my country," he said. Hundreds of residents in the area were moved to safety as security personnel carried out house-to-house searches, officials said.
Senators Show Off Work on $1T Bill 08/04 06:13
Senators Show Off Work on $1T Bill 08/04 06:13 The senators who spent months stitching together a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package are now trying to sell it to the American people before a key vote expected this week that would push a long recognized national priority much closer to the finish line, after years of talk. WASHINGTON (AP) -- The senators who spent months stitching together a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package are now trying to sell it to the American people before a key vote expected this week that would push a long recognized national priority much closer to the finish line, after years of talk. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Tuesday that the $65 billion for broadband means that some people in her state would get access to the internet for the first time. "The pandemic that we have endured for more than a year laid bare the disparities in access to high-speed internet," Collins said. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, spoke of how the bill would lead to more rural and Native Alaskans having access to a sink to wash their hands in. The bill dedicates about $55 billion in new funding for water and wastewater systems. "We have to do right by our Native people," she said. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., noted there is about $16 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that would help fund projects designed to curb coastal erosion. "My state has lost as much land as is in the entire state of Delaware. But other states are losing land, too," he said. And Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., talked about how $110 billion in new funding for roads and bridges would mean access to markets for farms in Montana such as his own. "It is critically important we keep our aging bridges and roads and airports up to snuff," Tester said. The lawmakers, part of a group that they like to call the G-10, for gang of 10 -- five Republican, five Democratic senators -- are appealing to the wishes of many voters for not only better airports, roads and internet service, but also for some bipartisanship in Washington, without being directly asked to pay for those improvements through higher income taxes or user fees. While it's looking like the Senate will approve the bill during the coming week, supporters of the legislation will face an array of obstacles advancing the package, a major priority in President Joe Biden's agenda. Interest groups on both sides of the political spectrum are taking aim at provisions they don't like, potentially unraveling the agreement. Some conservatives don't like that the agreement moves the country further away from relying on user fees, such as the federal gas tax, to pay for highway and transit improvements. Others are wary that the bill sets a course for much more federal spending after the government already provided for nearly $5 trillion dedicated to COVID relief. This week, the Treasury Department warned Congress it was hitting the nation's debt limit. "Every single time we add an enormous sum to our national debt, there is bipartisanship behind it," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said. Environmental groups worry that the bill doesn't do enough to address climate change. "It is clear that the deal does not meet the moment on climate or justice," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, a senior vice president of the League of Conservation Voters. The pressure from the left underpins House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement that there won't be a House vote on the bipartisan infrastructure plan until the Senate also passes the $3.5 trillion Democratic bill that boosts spending on health, environment and social programs. The Senate is plowing through efforts to amend the narrower infrastructure bill, which will require 60 votes to advance for passage. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is intent on passing the legislation as soon as possible so that the Senate can turn its attention to a budget blueprint that will set the stage for crafting and passing the larger $3.5 trillion package in the fall. Formally called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the proposal has clocked in at some 2,700 pages. The Senate's Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has sided with those voting to allow debate to proceed, but he has not said how he will ultimately vote. He said Tuesday the bill has a chance to be a "bipartisan success story for the country," but he is warning Democrats against trying to speed up the amendment process. "Like a lot of us, I'm interested in what it looks like in the end," McConnell said. He noted that "the past two administrations tried to do it, were unable to. The American people need it. I think it's one of those areas where there seems to be broad, bipartisan agreement." By evening, the Senate had overwhelmingly approved three noncontroversial amendments, while rejecting three others. As the amendment process continued, senators were weighing how much to try to change the package and how hard to try, knowing it would be difficult to reach the 60-vote threshold to approve any substantial changes. In addition to the $110 billion in new spending for roads and bridges and $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure, the bipartisan package is expected to provide, $39 billion for public transit and $66 billion for rail. There's also to be billions for airports, ports, broadband internet and electric vehicle charging stations. Paying for the package has been a challenge after senators rejected ideas to raise revenue from a new gas tax or other streams. Instead, it is being financed from funding sources that might not pass muster with deficit hawks, including repurposing some $205 billion in untapped COVID-19 relief aid, as well as unemployment assistance that was turned back by some states, and relying on projected future economic growth. The bipartisan bill still faces a rough road in the House, where progressive lawmakers want a more robust package but may have to settle for this one to keep Biden's infrastructure plans on track. The outcome with the bipartisan effort will set the stage for the next debate over Biden's much more ambitious $3.5 trillion package, a strictly partisan pursuit of far-reaching programs and services including child care and health care that touch almost every corner of American life. Republicans strongly oppose that bill, which would require a simple majority for passage. Final votes on that measure are not expected until fall.
Lawmakers May Repeal Iraq War Measures 08/04 06:17
Lawmakers May Repeal Iraq War Measures 08/04 06:17 (AP) -- The Biden administration encouraged lawmakers on Tuesday to finally repeal an authorization for military action in Iraq crafted when Saddam Hussein was still alive, rejecting Republican arguments it would further signal to Iran that the U.S. is retreating from the Middle East. Debate in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on ending Congress's 2002 resolution for military force against Iraq comes as part of a larger discussion by some lawmakers on axing or replacing decades-old congressional authorizations for military force. Tuesday's debate also is part of a growing tug-of-war between the Biden administration and lawmakers who say Joe Biden is only the latest U.S. president to flout congressional authority with military strikes and deployments in Somalia, Syria, Iraq, and other hotspots. Appearing before the panel, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke up for one apparent area of agreement between the White House and Democratic lawmakers in the debate: ending Congress's standing 2002 authorization for U.S. troops to strike in Iraq. U.S. forces -- acting on later disproven U.S. claims that Saddam was sitting on weapons of mass destruction -- invaded Iraq in 2003. They captured the Iraqi leader months later and turned him over to a new Iraqi government, which hanged him in 2006. The committee is due to vote Wednesday on repealing the 2002 resolution and a 1991 measure authorizing the U.S.-led Gulf War to roll back Saddam in an invasion of Kuwait. Biden voted for the resolution in 2002, later calling it a mistake, and against going to war in 1991 in his long career as a senator from Delaware. Iraq today is a partner of the United States, not an enemy, Sherman told lawmakers. She argued that repealing the 2002 resolution would demonstrate the changed relationship and be a setback to rival Iran, which wants neighboring Iraq firmly in its sphere of influence. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had pushed the Biden administration when he visited Washington last month to remove some of the last vestiges of the U.S. invasion, which effectively ended in 2011. Several committee Republicans argued repealing the decades-old authorizations would send the wrong message to Iran. That's especially so as the Biden administration ends the U.S. military role in Afghanistan, and -- at the request of the Iraqi government -- formally rebrands any remaining combat mission in Iraq to one focused on training, advising and intelligence-sharing. "Why take the chance that ... this is misinterpreted in the Middle East?" Utah Sen. Mitt Romney asked Sherman on repealing the 2002 military authorization. "This has extraordinary ability to be misconstrued as America's pulling away," Romney added. "The risk is much greater than the benefit." The Biden administration has cited other legal authority, including Biden's constitutional war powers as commander in chief, in airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, and Pentagon strikes on the al Shabab Islamic insurgent group in Somalia, without seeking congressional approval for each strike. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have efforts under way that would repeal and replace some standing authorizations of military force, including a 2001 authorization regarding Afghanistan, al-Qaida and the Taliban still cited in other U.S. counter-terror strikes. Other legislation introduced by Sens. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, and Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, would shift substantially more power on foreign policy and national security to Congress from the executive branch. As someone who voted for the 2001 action on Afghanistan after the 9/11 strikes, "I can safely say we never could have imagined it being used as a justification for airstrikes in Somalia ... or against groups that did not even exist at the time," said Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the committee. He said it was time for an "honest conversation" on the current balance of presidential and congressional authority for deciding on military action. Biden also voted for the Afghanistan resolution, which passed with no opposition in the Senate.
China Seals City Amid Virus Spike 08/04 06:20
China Seals City Amid Virus Spike 08/04 06:20 BEIJING (AP) -- China's worst coronavirus outbreak since the start of the pandemic a year and a half ago escalated Wednesday with dozens more cases around the country, the sealing-off of one city and the punishment of its local leaders. Since that initial outbreak was tamed last year, China's people had lived virtually free of the virus, with extremely strict border controls and local distancing and quarantine measures stamping out scattered, small flareups when they occurred. Now, the country is on high alert as an outbreak of cases connected to the international airport in the eastern city of Nanjing touched at least 17 provinces. China reported 71 new cases of COVID-19 from local transmission Wednesday, more than half of them in coastal Jiangsu province, of which Nanjing is the capital. In Wuhan, the central city where the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in late 2019, mass testing has shown some of its newly reported cases have a high degree of similarity to cases discovered in Jiangsu province. Those cases have been identified as being caused by the highly transmissible delta variant that first was identified in India. Meanwhile, another COVID-19 hotspot was emerging in the city of Zhangjiajie, near a scenic area famous for sandstone cliffs, caves, forests and waterfalls that inspired the on-screen landscape in the "Avatar" films. The city ordered residential communities sealed Sunday, preventing people from leaving their homes. In a subsequent order on Tuesday, officials said no one, whether tourist or resident, could leave the city. The city government's Communist Party disciplinary committee on Wednesday issued a list of local officials who "had a negative impact" on pandemic prevention and control work who would be punished. The city itself has only recorded 19 cases since last week, three of which were people with no symptoms, which are counted separately. However, individual cases linked to Zhangjiajie's outbreak have spread to at least five provinces, according to the Shanghai government-owned newspaper the Paper. Far higher numbers were reported in Yangzhou, a city next to Nanjing, which has recorded 126 cases as of Tuesday. After announcing last week that they were suspending issuance of passports for travelers except for those with an urgent need, officials at the National Immigration Administration reiterated the message again on Wednesday at a press briefing. As of Tuesday, China has given more than 1.71 billion vaccine doses to its population of 1.4 billion. It's not clear how many of those are first or both doses, but at least 40% of the population is fully protected, according to earlier announcements. Chinese companies have not publicly shared real-world data on how effective their vaccines are against the delta variant, though officials have said the vaccines prevent severe disease and hospitalization. In addition to the 71 cases of local transmission, 25 travelers from overseas have COVID-19 and have entered quarantine, making the total for Wednesday 96 new cases. The National Health Commission also said 15 people tested positive for the virus but have no symptoms. China has reported 4,636 deaths and 93,289 cases of COVID-19 overall, most of them from the original outbreak in Wuhan that peaked early last year.
CDC Issues New Eviction Ban 08/04 06:21
CDC Issues New Eviction Ban 08/04 06:21 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until Oct. 3, as the Biden administration sought to quell intensifying criticism from progressives that it was allowing vulnerable renters to lose their homes during a pandemic. WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until Oct. 3, as the Biden administration sought to quell intensifying criticism from progressives that it was allowing vulnerable renters to lose their homes during a pandemic. The ban announced Tuesday could help keep millions in their homes as the coronavirus' delta variant has spread and states have been slow to release federal rental aid. It would temporarily halt evictions in counties with "substantial and high levels" of virus transmissions and would cover areas where 90% of the U.S. population lives. The announcement was a reversal for the Biden administration, which allowed an earlier moratorium to lapse over the weekend after saying a Supreme Court ruling prevented an extension. That ripped open a dramatic split between the White House and progressive Democrats who insisted the administration do more to prevent some 3.6 million Americans from losing their homes during the COVID-19 crisis. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Biden said he pushed the CDC to again consider its options. But he still seemed hesitant as to whether the new moratorium could withstand lawsuits about its constitutionality, saying he has sought the opinions of experts as to whether the Supreme Court would approve the measure. "The bulk of the constitutional scholarship says that it's not likely to pass constitutional muster," Biden said. "But there are several key scholars who think that it may and it's worth the effort." The president added that the moratorium -- even if it gets challenged in court -- "will probably give some additional time" for states and city to release billions of dollars in federal relief to renters. Politically, the extension could help heal a rift with liberal Democratic lawmakers who were calling on the president to take executive action to keep renters in their homes. The administration had spent the past several days scrambling to reassure Democrats and the country that it could find a way to limit the damage from potential evictions through the use of federal aid. But pressure mounted as key lawmakers said it was not enough. Top Democratic leaders joined Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., who has been camped outside the U.S. Capitol for several days. The freshman congresswoman once lived in her car as a young mother and pointed to that experience to urge the White House to prevent widespread evictions. As she wiped her eyes before a crowd at the Capitol after the CDC's announcement, Bush said she was shedding "joyful tears." "My God, I don't believe we did this," she said. "We just did the work, just by loving folks to keep millions in their homes." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was a day of "extraordinary relief." "The imminent fear of eviction and being put out on the street has been lifted for countless families across America. Help is Here!" Pelosi said in a statement. Administration officials had previously said a Supreme Court ruling stopped them from setting up a new moratorium without congressional backing. When the court allowed the eviction ban to remain in place through the end of July by a 5-4 vote, one justice in the majority, Brett Kavanaugh, wrote that Congress would have to act to extend it further. But on Tuesday, the CDC cited the slow pace of state and local governments disbursing housing aid as justification for the new moratorium. Aside from the moratorium, Biden has insisted that federal money is available -- some $47 billion previously approved during the pandemic -- that needs to get out the door to help renters and landlords. "The money is there," Biden said. The White House has said state and local governments have been slow to push out that federal money and is pressing them to do so swiftly. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen briefed House Democrats Tuesday about the work underway to ensure the federal housing aid makes it to renters and landlords. She provided data so that lawmakers could see how their districts and states are performing with distributing the relief, according to a person on the call. The treasury secretary tried to encourage Democrats to work together, even as lawmakers said Biden should act on his own to extend the eviction moratorium, according to someone on the private call who insisted on anonymity to discuss its contents. Yellen said on the call, according to this person, that she agrees "we need to bring every resource to bear" and that she appreciated the Democrats' efforts and wants "to leave no stone unturned." The CDC put the initial eviction ban in place as part of the COVID-19 response when jobs shifted and many workers lost income. The ban was intended to hold back the spread of the virus among people put out on the streets and into shelters, but it also penalized landlords who lost income as a result. National Apartment Association president and CEO Bob Pinnegar said the organization "has always held the same position -- the eviction moratorium is an unfunded government mandate that forces housing providers to deliver a costly service without compensation and saddles renters with insurmountable debt." Democratic lawmakers said they were caught by surprise by Biden's initial decision to end the moratorium even though the CDC indicated in late June that it probably wouldn't extend the eviction ban beyond the end of July. Rep. Maxine Waters, the powerful chair of the Financial Services Committee, has been talking privately for days with Yellen and urged the treasury secretary to use her influence to prod states to push the money out the door. But Waters also called on the CDC to act on its own. After the CDC's announcement Tuesday, Waters released a statement thanking Biden "for listening and for encouraging the CDC to act! This extension of the moratorium is the lifeline that millions of families have been waiting for."
Pentagon Officer Dead, Suspect Killed 08/04 06:40
Pentagon Officer Dead, Suspect Killed 08/04 06:40 WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Pentagon police officer died after being stabbed Tuesday during a burst of violence at a transit center outside the building, and a suspect was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene. The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was temporarily placed on lockdown after a man attacked the officer on a bus platform shortly after 10:30 a.m. The ensuing violence, which included a volley of gunshots, resulted in "several casualties," said Woodrow Kusse, the chief of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, which is responsible for security in the facility. The deaths of the officer and the suspect were first confirmed by officials who were not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The Fairfax County Police Department also tweeted condolences about the officer's death. Officials said they believe two bystanders were injured. The suspect was identified by multiple law enforcement officials as Austin William Lanz, 27, of Georgia. The officer was ambushed by Lanz, who ran at him and stabbed him in the neck, according to two of the law enforcement officials. Responding officers then shot and killed Lanz. Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the attack and were digging into Lanz's background, including any potential history of mental illness or any reason he might want to target the Pentagon or police officers. The officials could not discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity. Lanz had enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in October 2012 but was "administratively separated" less than a month later and never earned the title Marine, the Corps said in a statement. Lanz was arrested in April in Cobb County, Georgia, on criminal trespassing and burglary charges, according to online court records. The same day, a separate criminal case was filed against Lanz with six additional charges, including two counts of aggravated battery on police, a count of making a terrorist threat and a charge for rioting in a penal institution, the records show. A judge reduced his bond in May to $30,000 and released him, imposing some conditions, including that he not ingest illegal drugs and that he undergo a mental health evaluation. The charges against him were still listed as pending. A spokesman for the Cobb County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Lanz had been previously held at the agency's detention center but referred all other questions to the FBI's field office in Washington. An attorney who represented Lanz in the Georgia cases didn't immediately respond to a phone message and email seeking comment, and messages left with family members at Lanz's home in the Atlanta suburb of Acworth, Georgia, were not immediately returned. Tuesday's attack on a busy stretch of the Washington area's transportation system jangled the nerves of a region already primed to be on high alert for violence and potential intruders outside federal government buildings, particularly following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. At a Pentagon news conference, Kusse declined to confirm that the officer had been killed or provide even basic information about how the violence had unfolded or how many might be dead. He would only say that an officer had been attacked and that "gunfire was exchanged." Kusse and other officials declined to rule out terrorism or provide any other potential motive. But Kusse said the Pentagon complex was secure and "we are not actively looking for another suspect at this time." He said the FBI was leading the investigation. "I can't compromise the ongoing investigation," Kusse said. The FBI confirmed only that it was investigating and there was "no ongoing threat to the public" but declined to offer details or a possible motive. Later Tuesday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency issued a statement confirming the loss of the officer, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his condolences and said flags at the Pentagon will be flown at half-staff. "This fallen officer died in the line of duty, helping protect the tens of thousands of people who work in -- and who visit -- the Pentagon on a daily basis," Austin said in a statement. "This tragic death today is a stark reminder of the dangers they face and the sacrifices they make. We are forever grateful for that service and the courage with which it is rendered." Tuesday's violence occurred on a Metro bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Center, a hub for subway and bus lines. The station is steps from the Pentagon building, which is in Arlington County, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington. An Associated Press reporter near the building heard multiple gunshots, then a pause, then at least one additional shot. Another AP journalist heard police yelling "shooter." A Pentagon announcement said the facility was on lockdown, but that was lifted after noon, except for the area around the crime scene. Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were at the White House meeting with President Joe Biden at the time of the shooting. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Austin returned to the building and went to the Pentagon police operations center to speak to the officers there. It was not immediately clear whether any additional security measures might be instituted in the area. In 2010, two officers with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency were wounded when a gunman approached them at a security screening area. The officers, who survived, returned fire, fatally wounding the gunman, identified as John Patrick Bedell.
