Daily Briefing: What is the future of COVID boosters?
A federal advisory panel has discussed ways to simplify and routinize COVID-19 vaccines, more than two years after the first shots became available. Also in the news: The National Archives has requested former officials look for any classified documents they might have. It's the last weekend of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. So no one's been drunk on the ski lift this whole time?
Now, here we go with Friday's news.
One COVID vaccine target for everyone
With vaccines and boosters authorized incrementally for different COVID-19 vaccines and different age groups as the SARS-CoV-2 virus continued to evolve, there are now more than a dozen vaccines and schedules, the Food and Drug Administration's Dr. David Kaslow said in a panel meeting Thursday. The FDA hopes to simplify vaccine options and provide a process for updating the shots at least once a year to cope with the continued presence and evolution of SARS-CoV-2. The committee took only one formal vote Thursday, unanimously supporting a shift to a consistent vaccine target, regardless of how many shots a person has had. Read more
Florida nursing schools sold 7,600 fake diplomas, feds say.
Israel, Palestinian fighters trade fire after deadly West Bank raid
Palestinian militants fired rockets and Israel carried out airstrikes as tensions soared following an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank. The raid killed nine Palestinians, including at least seven militants and a 61-year-old woman. It was the deadliest single incursion in the territory in over two decades. The flare-up in violence poses an early test for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government and casts a shadow on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s expected trip to the region next week. Palestinian militants fired five rockets at Israel, which carried out a series of airstrikes at what it said were militant targets. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Read our latest reporting on Israel.
More news to know now
🔴 Republicans vote today on who will lead the GOP.
📰 An Islamic State leader operating in Somalia was killed by US military forces.
📹 Video of the attack on Paul Pelosi will be released. Here's how the assault on Nancy Pelosi's husband unfolded.
🟣 House Democrats introduced a bill targeting a ban on federal funding for most abortions.
❄ A winter storm will hit the West: Friday weather updates.
🍫 Here are 20 delicious chocolate gifts for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day.
🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, USA TODAY Sports Reporter Josh Peter looks at the challenges faced by queer student-athletes at BYU. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.
📝 What happened this week? Test how well you paid attention to the news.
🌤 What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Who else has classified documents?
Faced with a steady stream of disclosures about improperly kept classified documents, the National Archives on Thursday asked former presidents and vice presidents to look for any sensitive and potentially top-secret material they might have, according to a source familiar with the matter.
One thing to know: In its letter, the archives is asking all former presidents and vice presidents dating back to the Ronald Reagan administration to re-examine their files.
Many former top White House officials already have indicated that they do not have any classified documents in their possession, after reports that President Joe Biden kept such documents in his personal possession from his time as vice president in the Barack Obama administration. Former President Donald Trump and, more recently, his vice president, Mike Pence, also have been found to have such documents in their possession.
A wider problem: The situation underscores how the U.S. system of safeguarding classified presidential documents is in urgent need of improvement, especially during the critical period when one administration hands over the White House keys to another.
Are other former presidents holding classified documents? USA TODAY attempted to call all of the former officials to find out if they have any sensitive material that should be turned over, and to see if they are looking through their files. This story will be updated as additional responses come in.
Former Memphis police officers arrested, face murder charges in Tyre Nichols' death
Former Memphis police officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmit Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. have each been charged with one count of second-degree murder, aggravated assault – acting in concert, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and one count of official oppression, court records show. The charges come less than a week after the officers were fired and accused of violating department policy during the stop of Tyre Nichols, 29. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis called the incident "heinous, reckless and inhumane" in a video statement Wednesday. Read more
Just for subscribers:
🔍 How a bloody scalp found on a rural Pennsylvania road led cops to a killer.
🚗 ''A huge windfall'': Automakers look to hire tech talent from job cuts in Silicon Valley.
⌚ 90 seconds to midnight: From Doomsday Clock to ''The Last of Us,'' our demise is always near.
❓ Can chiropractic adjustments cause strokes? Two Kentucky women say yes, and so did a jury.
These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here.
IOC stands firmly with Russia
The International Olympic Committee is clearing the way for Russian athletes to compete at the Olympic Games despite that country’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine and the continuing brutality of its war against its neighbor. The IOC Executive Board agreed to allow individual athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus to take part in Olympic events if they are not "actively supporting" Russia’s war in Ukraine. The athletes also must compete under neutral status. “It is becoming increasingly clear that Russia has complete control over the IOC and its leadership,” Global Athlete said in a statement Wednesday, after the IOC announced it was pursuing ways to appease President Vladimir Putin and Russia. Read more
What's behind sudden departures at U.S. Soccer, and how will they impact USMNT in 2026?
📷 Photo of the day: Sundance Film Festival 2023 📷
After going virtual for a couple of pandemic-affected editions, the Sundance Film Festival is back in Park City, Utah through Jan. 29. The indie films on tap are, as usual with the fest, a pretty interesting mix, from the Jonathan Majors bodybuilding drama "Magazine Dreams" to Daisy Ridley's "Sometimes I Think About Dying" to a slate of documentaries featuring Judy Blume, Little Richard, Michael J. Fox and Brooke Shields. Read more
All the best movies we saw at Sundance Film Festival, ranked.
Click here to see more photos from Sundance 2023.
One more thing
🔥 Did Earth's inner core stop spinning? A new study finds it may soon start turning in reverse.
⛰ Disney fans are selling ''authentic''' used water from the closed Splash Mountain ride.
⛑ Jeremy Renner was run over in snowplow accident while helping his nephew with car trouble.
🏈 Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes is ''on track'' with an ankle injury before the AFC title game vs. the Bengals.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19 boosters, Israel, Palestine, classified documents, Memphis, IOC: Daily Briefing
