Author: CNN

CNN
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Here’s a look at what you need to know about the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is a stockpile of crude owned by the US government.

It provides a back-up supply of crude oil if the commercial oil supply is disrupted.

The crude oil is stored in underground salt caverns in a government complex along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. Salt formations are the cheapest, most environmentally safe way to store crude oil.

The current storage capacity is 714 million barrels.

The average price paid for the oil in the SPR is $29.70 a barrel.

December 22, 1975 – President Gerald Ford establishes the SPR when he signs into law the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The law is created in response to the oil embargo of 1973-1974 and the severe effect it had on the US economy. It mandates that the United States maintain a stockpile of one million barrels of petroleum, which is the largest emergency supply in the world.

July 21, 1977 – The first oil, from Saudi Arabia, is delivered to the SPR.

January 16, 1991 – President George H.W. Bush orders the first emergency drawdown of the SPR.

September 2000 – President Bill Clinton releases 30 million barrels of oil in the SPR, to increase home heating oil supplies and lower gasoline prices which had risen to more than $2 a gallon in some areas.

November 13, 2001 – President George W. Bush orders the SPR to be filled to its maximum capacity of 700 million barrels.

September 1, 2005 – Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announces that six million barrels of crude oil will be released/loaned to ExxonMobil Corp. from the SPR. The Department of Energy also confirms that Valero Energy Corp. will receive 1.5 million barrels of crude from the SPR for use at its refineries. This is in response to the devastation from Hurricane Katrina.

April 25, 2006 – Bush announces that he has decided to temporarily halt deposits to the SPR, freeing more oil for consumer needs and seeking to relieve prices at the pump.

May 19, 2008 – Bush signs a bill halting deliveries to the SPR for six months. It is hoped that the measure will bring down the record high price of gasoline in the United States.

September 12, 2008 – Bush announces that oil from the SPR will be released to help Louisiana recover from Hurricane Gustav.

June 23, 2011 – The Department of Energy announces that it will release 30 million barrels of oil from the SPR to alleviate Libyan supply disruptions.

August 2012 – The Department of Energy announces that it will loan one million barrels of oil to Marathon Petroleum to address the short term impact Hurricane Isaac had on the company’s refining capacity.

November 2, 2015 – With the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, congress authorizes the sale of 58 million barrels of SPR oil over the course of eight years beginning in 2018 for deficit reduction. The law also calls for the sale of 40-50 million barrels of SPR oil between 2017 and 2020 for modernization purposes.

December 4, 2015 – The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act becomes law, authorizing the sale of 66 million barrels of SPR oil between 2023 and 2025 to replenish the Highway Trust Fund.

January 9, 2017 – The Department of Energy issues a notice of sale of eight million barrels of sweet crude oil from the SPR.

November 23, 2021 – President Joe Biden announces that the Department of Energy will release 50 million barrels of oil from the SPR – calling it the largest release from the reserve in US history. The release will be in coordination with several other countries, including China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom. Officials believe the coordinated effort could potentially have more of an effect on lowering gas prices.

March 1, 2022 – The US and its allies agree to a release of 60 million barrels from their reserves, half of which will come from the SPR, to dampen the effect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on gas prices.

March 31, 2022 – Biden announces a historic release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the SPR in an attempt to reduce gas prices while also putting an onus on oil companies to increase supply. The White House says the release will amount to 180 million barrels of oil and will act as a “bridge” as US and global oil production ramps back up after the pandemic.

October 19, 2022 – Biden announces the sale of an additional 15 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in December as he looks to lower gas prices ahead of the midterm elections. He also reveals the administration’s plan to purchase oil to refill the emergency reserve, which is now at its lowest level in nearly 40 years, when prices fall to $70 a barrel.

December 16, 2022 – The Biden administration announces plans for the Energy Department to repurchase up to 3 million barrels of crude oil for the SPR, to be delivered in February. Senior administration officials concede it will take months or even years to replenish the SPR, whose stockpiles are at the lowest level in 38 years.

December 19, 2023 – The Department of Energy announces the US has purchased 2.1 million barrels of crude oil, for delivery in February 2024, to replenish the SPR.

CNN
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January 15 is Martin Luther King Day. But any day is a great time to do good for the community. Dr. King’s holiday celebrates the civil rights leader’s life by encouraging public service. Here are a few creative ways people of all ages can help the world around them in honor of Dr. King.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center) is once again offering up lessons plans for grades K-12 as part of their global “Teach-In.” The lesson plans include resources and activities exploring the work, teachings and philosophies of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King. The King Center’s theme for this year’s holiday is “Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.”

Kelisha B. Graves, the King Center’s Chief Research, Education, and Programs Officer, says the lessons will help “translate the overarching theme into concrete examples and demonstrations that students can absorb.”

“One of the things that Mrs. King used to always talk about was being your best self and that’s the essence of all of the learning content that we produce through the King Center, helping to encourage students to be their best selves,” Graves told CNN.

The lesson plans include English and language arts activities, character building objectives and even ways to help students identify and interrupt injustices. Graves says that last year over 700,000 students in 22 countries accessed the lessons plans and they are hoping to continue to spread Dr. King’s and Mrs. King’s philosophies across the globe.

MLK Day is a national day of service; “a day on, not a day off.” Tim Adkins, of Hands On Atlanta, hopes for an uptick of in-person volunteers compared to the last few Covid-affected years.

“This year’s days of service really allows for people to get back and do what they’ve done for years and that is to go on site and actually be able to do something physically with their hands.”

Hands On Atlanta is partnering with the King Center and many others on a number of volunteer community projects, but there will be ways to get involved in almost every major city. AmeriCorps has a searchable database of MLK Day volunteer opportunities available around the country. Simply put in your zip code and click on the “MLK Day” box to find the projects available in your area.

If you’re looking for something to do from your home, help rewrite history. The Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress are both looking for volunteers to digitally transcribe historical documents. The projects range from African American history and women’s suffrage to the personal letters and journals of historical figures. The digital transcriptions will help make the documents more widely available to the public and more accessible by people with vision impairments.

If volunteering is not an option this year, consider donating to organizations working year-round to support the social justice Dr. King dedicated his life to.

The Equal Justice Initiative works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality. The organization provides legal representation and promotes criminal justice reform. It is also heavily involved in public education about racial injustice in America. In 2018, EJI opened the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. The Museum and the Memorial will both be open on Monday and offering free admission.

The National Urban League has been fighting for African Americans and others for more than 100 years. The organization advances civil rights and economic empowerment by providing education, job training and community development.

If time is an issue, much like digitally transcribing historical documents, there are plenty of altruistic apps and websites available that allow anyone to volunteer and help others any time they can. “On-demand volunteering” apps and websites are available to help those with vision impairments, those who need help with language translation or those looking for career or mentoring advice.

Tim Adkins from Hands on Atlanta believes volunteering is a way you can better your community and yourself at the same time.

“I’m a pretty strong believer that volunteering is a potential solution to a lot of mental health issues that have sprawled over the last couple of years,” Adkins said. “I don’t really think it matters what you do as long as you get out there and the intention is, for lack of better phrase, to go do something good.”

CNN
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Here’s a look at the life of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Birth date: August 8, 1953

Birth place: Mobile, Alabama

Birth name: Lloyd James Austin III

Father: Lloyd James Austin Jr., postal worker

Mother: Aletia Taylor Austin, homemaker

Marriage: Charlene Denise (Banner) Austin (early 1980s-present)

Children: Reginald Hill (stepson); Christopher Hill (stepson)

Education: United States Military Academy, B.S., 1975; Auburn University, M.E., counselor education, 1986; Webster University, M.A., management and leadership, 1989; War Army College (1996-1997 attended)

Military service: US Army, 1975-2016, four-star general

Has achieved many firsts:

Awarded numerous decorations for his military service, including five Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star for bravery in combat and two Legions of Merit.

Has served on a number of boards of directors including Nucor Corporation, Tenet Healthcare Corporation and United Technologies (now known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation following a 2020 merger).

Served on the board of trustees of Auburn University and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

An athlete in high school, he was captain of his varsity basketball team.

1975 – Austin is commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army upon graduation from West Point. Over the next 20 years, he holds a number of leadership positions and is stationed at bases in North Carolina, Indianapolis, New York, Germany and Panama.

1997-1999 – Commander, 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

1999-2001 – Chief, Joint Operations Division, J-3, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

2001-2003 – Assistant division commander, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq.

2003-2005 – Commanding general, 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, New York. Includes Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq.

2005-2006 – Chief of staff, US Central Command, Unified Combat Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

2006-2009 – Commanding general, XVIII Airborne Corps and Commander, Multi-National Corps; Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2009-2010 – Office of the Director, Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.

2010 – He is promoted to four-star general.

2010-2011 – Commanding general, US Forces-Iraq, US Central Command, Operation New Dawn.

January 31, 2012-March 2013 – Vice Chief of Staff, US Army.

December 6, 2012 – Nominated by President Barack Obama to be the 12th commander of US Central Command.

March 2013-March 2016 – Commander, US Central Command.

April 5, 2016 – Retires from the military.

2016 – Founds the Austin Strategy Group, LLC., with Austin as owner and president. Later declares in a US Office of Government Ethics filing that the consulting business will remain dormant upon his 2021 confirmation as defense secretary.

September 2020-January 22, 2021 – Partner at investment firm Pine Island Capital Partners.

December 8, 2020 – President-elect Joe Biden names Austin as his nominee for secretary of defense, in an op-ed published by the Atlantic.

January 19, 2021 – The Senate Armed Services Committee hearing takes place. Austin addresses concerns about a retired general assuming the top civilian post at the Pentagon, “If confirmed, I will carry out the mission of the Department of Defense, always with the goal to deter war and ensure our nation’s security, and I will uphold the principle of civilian control of the military, as intended.” He also pledges to fight to rid the department of “racists and extremists.”

January 21, 2021 – Both chambers of Congress approve a waiver to permit Austin to serve as secretary of defense, as the law requires a defense secretary to wait seven years after active-duty service before taking the position. This is the second such waiver. The first was granted to James Mattis in 2017.

January 22, 2021 – In a 93-2 vote, the Senate confirms Austin to be the first African American defense secretary.

February 2, 2021 – Austin dismisses hundreds of members of 42 Pentagon advisory boards, as the Pentagon announces a review of the boards’ memberships. Those members, appointed by the Pentagon, include late appointments by the Donald Trump administration.

February 2, 2021 – Austin orders a staggered pause of operations across the US military so commanders can have “needed discussions” with service members about the issue of extremism over the next 60 days, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby announces.

February 16, 2021 – Writes a Washington Post op-ed to underline that, under the Biden Administration, the US is back in full support of NATO and the US’ traditional role in defense of Europe.

March 21, 2021 – Travels to Afghanistan on his first visit to the country as the United States’ top defense official, meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other officials.

April 30, 2021 – In his first major policy speech, Austin stresses the importance of emerging technology and the rapid increases in computing power to push the military into the future, laying out a vision of warfare starkly different from how “the last of the old wars” of the past two decades were fought.

June 22, 2021 – Austin announces he will recommend to Biden a change in the military justice system to take the prosecution of sexual assaults out of the hands of commanders.

January 2, 2022 – According to a statement from Austin released by the Defense Department, he has tested positive for Covid-19 and is exhibiting “mild” symptoms.

April 24, 2022 – Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken make an unannounced trip to Kyiv and meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

March 7, 2023 – Austin makes an unannounced trip to Iraq. He is the highest-ranking Cabinet official to visit the country since the start of the Biden administration.

January 5, 2024 – The Pentagon announces Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on New Year’s Day for complications from a medical procedure. Austin faces criticism as it is revealed that senior officials, including President Biden, were left in the dark about his multiday hospital stay. On January 9, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center releases a statement revealing Austin is being treated for prostate cancer. The cancer was discovered in early December 2023.

Donkey carts crammed with blankets, mattresses piled onto cars and thinly-stocked market stalls lined the mud-caked streets of Nuseirat, in central Gaza, on Thursday, through which streams of displaced people were making their way to the nearby area of Deir al-Balah.

Many had mixed emotions. Deir al-Balah was supposed to be safer, at least according to instructions from the Israeli military, but living conditions were at best primitive.

Generations of Palestinians were camped out among the rubble of flattened buildings, while others carried their belongings to move further south, as the Israeli military expanded its operations in central and southern Gaza.

On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces issued a new series of evacuation instructions to Palestinians, including that “military activities” would be temporarily suspended in the Al-Brook and Jaffa neighborhoods of Deir al-Balah.

Amnesty International has previously warned that the Israeli military’s calls to evacuate could amount to “forced displacement of the civilian population,” in violation of international law.

The war that began on October 7 has displaced at least 1.93 million people in Gaza, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Thousands of families have moved multiple times as Israel’s offensive has moved to new areas.

Several of the civilians who had fled to Deir al-Balah told CNN they were too exhausted to flee again – instead wishing they could return home to “die with dignity.”

Ramzi Al Jammal, a civilian from Al-Bureij refugee camp, was displaced to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. He has been separated from members of his extended family, including his sons and his grandchildren.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are living in tent camps stretched along cities in the south, with little access to basic sanitation, food, fuel or drinkable water. Many sleep on the streets with inadequate clothing to keep them warm during the winter season.

But Abdul Rahman, a civilian who has not fled Nuseirat, told CNN that trying to survive in makeshift camps was no better than living among the ruins of central and northern Gaza.

“We have no place to go,” he said on Thursday. “There is no space, people sleep on the road. There is no place to sit safely in this area.

“There is no water, there is no electricity,” he said. “They bomb and attack us without any alarm … We have nothing to do, we have no food.”

Abu Adnan, a displaced civilian who now lives on the streets of Deir al-Balah, told CNN he wishes he had “stayed at home and got shot.”

“This is not life, it’s humiliation,” he said. “I will go nowhere after this, unless I go back to my house.”

“I tried to go back home twice but my children pulled me back,” he added. “There are no toilets, no food, no water, no clothes. With all this, I prefer to go back home and die with dignity than dying this way.”

Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips brushed off low poll numbers and carried on with his long-shot campaign in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

“Well, people don’t know who I am yet,” the Minnesota congressman said.

Phillips, who launched his bid in late October, again accused the national Democratic party of suppressing candidates.

A new CNN/UNH poll found 69% of likely Democratic primary voters say they will write in President Joe Biden’s name, compared with 7% who plan to support Phillips and 6% who say they will vote for author Marianne Williamson.

Phillips told reporters before touring a facility in New Hampshire for homeless veterans he’s “listening to people” and “going to do more of it,” again slamming Biden for not campaigning in the Granite State. 

Asked how he’ll win over more support, when the majority of likely Democratic voters have made up their minds, Phillips answered, “my job is not to persuade anybody, it’s not to change their minds. My job is to practice democracy.”

He said he would “defer” to how New Hampshire voters feel, but alluded to the Democratic National Committee’s warning to the state party that its primary would be meaningless, calling it “not just a dereliction of duty, it’s just downright dangerous.”

Phillips later told reporters that though the DNC is not barring New Hampshire from holding a Democratic primary altogether, he believes the party is defying democracy because “there’s nothing a single voter in the state of New Hampshire could have done” to change state’s primary date.

“It’s a political party imposing itself and suppressing voters,” he said, claiming that if Republican party did the same thing, he would be making the same proclamations “even more loudly.”

The Minnesota Democrat started the day by parking his “Government Repair Truck” vehicle along a major street in Manchester in below freezing temperatures, hoping to hold “coffee conversations” with voters outside of a convention hosted by New England College.

Phillips later reshared a post on X that detailed how no voters showed up.

Phillips said his campaign experience was the “most joyful and invigorating American journey imaginable,” adding, “I’ve got lots of leftover coffee, if anyone’s thirsty.”

Campaign spokesperson Katie Dolan told CNN, “When it proved too cold, we headed inside to chat with voters indoors.”

The campaign shared a photo of Phillips posing with a group of young people. It was not clear if they were old enough to vote.

CNN
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Here is a look at the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.

Birth date: January 12, 1964

Birth place: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Birth name: Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen

Father: Ted Jorgensen

Mother: Jackie (Gise) Bezos

Marriage: MacKenzie (Tuttle) Bezos (1993-2019, divorced)

Children: A daughter adopted from China, and three sons

Education: Princeton University, B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science, 1986

He was adopted at a young age by his stepfather, Miguel “Mike” Bezos, an engineer at Exxon.

1994 – Leaves D. E. Shaw & Co. in order to develop Amazon.

1999 – Is named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.

2000 – Founds Blue Origin, LLC, an aerospace company to provide low-cost access to private space travel.

2011 – Bezos and his wife donate $15 million to create the Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics at Princeton University.

November 2012 – Fortune Magazine names Bezos 2012 Businessperson of the Year.

March 2012-2013 – Leads the privately funded Apollo 11 F-1 Engine Recovery project team that, in March 2013, recovers parts of two rocket engines from the Atlantic seafloor. The rockets from the 1969 Apollo 11 mission remain property of NASA.

August 5, 2013 – It is announced that Bezos is purchasing The Washington Post. Bezos officially becomes the owner on October 1.

January 1, 2014 – Bezos is evacuated on an Ecuadorian navy helicopter from the Galapagos Islands after he develops kidney stones. An Amazon spokesman later says no surgery was required.

November 24, 2015 – Bezos’ company Blue Origin successfully lands a rocket back on Earth after a space flight. In the past, rockets were disposed of after launching space crafts. Reusable rockets would substantially reduce the cost of space flight.

July 18, 2016 – Amazon confirms Bezos has a cameo role as an alien in the movie “Star Trek Beyond.”

December 14, 2016 – Along with other tech executives, Bezos meets with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower to discuss issues such as education, trade and immigration.

September 5, 2018 – Bezos contributes $10 million to With Honor, a nonpartisan organization and super PAC that aims to increase the number of veterans in politics.

September 13, 2018 – Bezos announces via Twitter that he and his wife will commit $2 billion to a fund called “Bezos Day One Fund.” The fund will support nonprofits that help homeless families and create a network of preschools in low-income communities.

January 9, 2019 – In a joint statement, Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, announce they are divorcing after 25 years of marriage.

February 7, 2019 – In a blog post, Bezos accuses AMI, the publisher of the National Enquirer, of trying to extort him, alleging that AMI threatened to release compromising photos of him.

READ MORE: Jeff Bezos and the National Enquirer: A timeline of events.

March 6, 2019 – Haven, the name of the venture created by Bezos, Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon to improve the health care system, is unveiled.

March 30, 2019 – An investigator working for Bezos to find out how evidence of his extramarital relationship was provided to the National Enquirer claims that Saudi Arabia had access to information before the photos and texts were leaked. In an opinion article for the Daily Beast, Gavin de Becker says that Saudi leadership wanted to harm Bezos because of the Washington Post’s coverage of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.

April 4, 2019 – Bezos and his wife announce that they have agreed to divorce terms, with MacKenzie set to keep 25% of the couple’s Amazon stock, which would give her a 4% stake in the company. Bezos will retain voting control over all MacKenzie’s shares and will also maintain all his interests in the Washington Post and Blue Origin.

May 9, 2019 – Bezos unveils Blue Origin’s new rocket engine and a mockup of the lunar lander it wants to use to shuttle cargo or people to the moon. The lunar lander’s first mission is slated for 2024.

February 17, 2020 – Bezos commits $10 billion to the Bezos Earth Fund, a new initiative to back scientists, activists and organizations working to mitigate the impact of climate change.

July 29, 2020 – Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, CEO of Google’s parent company Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg all testify before a House subcommittee on anti-trust to address concerns that their businesses may be harming competition.

October 19, 2020 – The Bezos Academy, the first location of a network of tuition-free preschools serving children in underserved communities, opens in Des Moines, Washington.

November 16, 2020 – Bezos announces that he will give $791 million in grants as part of his Bezos Earth Fund to 16 organizations that are working to protect the environment.

February 2, 2021 – In its fourth-quarter 2020 earnings report, Amazon announces that Bezos will step down from his role as chief executive in the third quarter of 2021. He will transition to the role of executive chair. Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy will become chief executive officer at that time.

May 26, 2021 – During the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Bezos announces that he will officially step down from his role as chief executive officer on July 5. That is the anniversary of the date Amazon was incorporated in 1994.

July 15, 2021 – The Smithsonian announces that Bezos will donate $200 million to the museum, the largest gift the institution has received since its founding in 1846.

July 20, 2021 – Bezos travels to space and back on an 11-minute ride aboard the rocket and capsule system developed by his space company, Blue Origin. During his post-flight news conference, he announces a new philanthropic initiative that gives recipients $100 million to give to charities and nonprofits of their choice. The first two winners are Van Jones and José Andrés.

November 14, 2022 – In an exclusive interview, Bezos tells CNN he will devote the bulk of his wealth to fighting climate change and supporting people who can unify humanity in the face of deep social and political divisions.

The head of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, says he hopes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be “more focused” on ending Israeli “aggression” in Gaza during the top diplomat’s multi-country visit to the region.

Blinken is undertaking another shuttle diplomacy tour amid heightened fears that the Israel-Hamas war may spill over into a wider regional conflict. Attacks in Lebanon, Iran and Iraq this week have spiked tensions in the region as Iranian proxy groups Hezbollah and the Houthis increase their threats against Israel.  

In a video message shared by Hamas on Saturday, the Doha-based Hamas political leader said he hopes the US has “realized the extent” of its “mistakes” in supporting Israel.   

Haniyeh said Hamas hopes Blinken — in his fourth trip to the region since Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 — will be “more focused this time to end the aggression” being carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip.  

Earlier this week, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant unveiled the third phase of the war campaign in Gaza, which includes a new combat approach in the north and a commitment to keep pursuing Hamas leaders in southern Gaza for “for as long as necessary.”  

Haniyeh also said that leaders of Arab nations who meet Blinken should “stress to the US administration that the future and stability” of the region is linked to the “Palestinian cause.”   

He reiterated Hamas’ view that the Palestinian people should have a “completely independent state” with “complete sovereignty.”  

More on Blinken’s trip: Indirect back-channeling to Iran will also be a key focus of Blinken’s trip, a senior State Department official said Friday.nThe top US diplomat will make clear to the leaders with whom he meets that the US does not want to see the conflict escalate nor do they intend to escalate it. The US expects that message to then be conveyed to Iran and Iranian proxies through the countries that have a relationship with them, the official said.

The secretary of state met with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After going to Greece, he will travel to Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, and Egypt. 

The death toll from the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan’s west coast on Monday has risen to 57, according to Japan public broadcaster NHK, citing officials from Ishikawa prefecture.

The quake shook the Noto Peninsula in the central prefecture of Ishikawa on Monday afternoon, collapsing buildings, sparking fires and triggering tsunami alerts as far away as eastern Russia.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency lifted all tsunami advisories along portions of the country’s western coast Tuesday, but more than 24 hours after the quake struck, there has been limited access to the northern part of the secluded Noto Peninsula.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters after a disaster emergency meeting Tuesday that a destroyed road had cut access to the area.

Officials in helicopters had flown over the peninsula, known for its coastal scenery and rural landscapes, and reported seeing damaged roads, landslides and large fires, he said.

“To secure the route there, we are to mobilize all the means of transport, not only on the ground but also by aerial and marine transport. We have been making an effort to transfer goods, supplies and personnel there since the last night,” Kishida said.

CNN’s Helen Regan, Sahar Akbarzai, Chie Kobayashi and Mayumi Maruyama contributed reporting to this post.