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| They made it official: Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine graduated from "emergency use authorization" to fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. |
| 👋 Hey! Laura here. I'm seeing bluebird skies here in Denver, but there's a gnarly snowstorm looming for a huge stretch of the country. We've got the forecast, along with Monday's biggest news. |
| But first, will it be a Rude Boy or the Only Girl (In the World)? 👼 Rihanna fans have been waiting for new music, but she's got another kind of project on the way: She's expecting her first child with A$AP Rocky! See the baby bump pics here. |
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Moderna's vaccine gets full FDA approval |
| More than a year after Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was deployed under an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it received full approval, the company said Monday. About 204 million doses of the vaccine – with the brand name of Spikevax – have been administered in the USA, according to the CDC. The full approval is for individuals 18 and older in the two-dose primary series for vaccination. The booster dose is available under emergency use authorization. Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement the approval "may instill additional confidence" for those who have not been vaccinated. As for the other vaccines? Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine was the first to receive full approval last year, and Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is still distributed under an emergency use authorization. |
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 | | The FDA approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. | | FRED TANNEAU/AFP via Getty Images | |
Winter storm threatens millions from the Rockies to the Northeast |
| Another week, another big winter storm. This week's storm will target a 2,000-mile swath of the nation from the Rockies to the Northeast with a nasty mix of snow, ice and rain from Tuesday through Friday. "We're looking at widespread travel delays with this system," AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. Winter storm watches were posted for 35 million people from Texas to Michigan, the National Weather Service said. Additional winter weather alerts are expected as the height of the storm draws closer. Many areas could pick up 6 inches to a foot of snow, Weather.com said. To the south and east of the corridor, ice and severe thunderstorms are possible. ❄️ Go here to keep up with the latest weather updates. |
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 | | New Yorkers struggle through a snowstorm Jan. 29. | | ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images | |
What everyone's talking about |
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Plea deal rejected in federal hate crimes case against one of Arbery's killers |
| A federal judge rejected a plea agreement Monday that would have averted a hate crimes trial for one of the men convicted in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ruled against the agreement made with Travis McMichael after hearing an emotional plea against the arrangements from Arbery's family. Arbery's father, Marcus, said outside the federal courthouse in Brunswick, Georgia, that he was "mad as hell" over the deal, which lawyer Lee Merritt, who represents the family, said could enable Travis and Greg McMichael to spend the first 30 years of their life sentences in federal prison, rather than state prison where conditions are tougher. In documents filed late Sunday, U.S. Justice Department attorneys asked the federal court to "dispose" of the charges pending against the McMichaels. A notice of a plea deal was not filed for the third man charged in Arbery's death, William "Roddie" Bryan. This month, all three men were sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murder and other crimes by a Georgia jury. |
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 | | Travis McMichael, left, speaks with his attorney, Jason Sheffield, center, during the sentencing hearing for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Travis, his father, Gregory, right, and William "Roddie" Bryan were sentenced to life in prison Jan. 7 at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga. | | Pool photo by Stephen B. Morton | |
Russia, US square off over Ukraine |
| Is the United States poking a bear? Russia accused the West of "whipping up tensions" over Ukraine and said the United States brought "pure Nazis" to power in Kyiv as the U.N. Security Council held a stormy debate Monday on Moscow's troop buildup near the Ukraine border. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Russia's growing military force along the borders was "the largest mobilization" in Europe in decades. "And they are attempting, without any factual basis, to paint Ukraine and Western countries as the aggressors to fabricate a pretext for attack," she said. It was the first open session in which all protagonists in the Ukraine crisis spoke publicly, even though the United Nations' most powerful body took no action. Go here for the full story. |
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 | | Ukrainian soldiers build a bunker Dec. 12, 2021, in Zolote, Ukraine. A buildup of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine has heightened worries that Russia intends to invade the Donbas region, most of which is held by separatists after a seven-year war with the Ukrainian government. President Joe Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin via videoconference to discuss the escalation. | | Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images | |
Real quick |
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Could Joe Burrow make history? |
| Newly minted AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has an opportunity to score a rare NFL triple-crown of sorts Feb. 13 in Los Angeles when he and the Bengals play the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56. Having won the college football national championship with LSU and the Heisman in 2019, Burrow looks at add Super Bowl champion to his résumé. Only three players in NFL history have accomplished this: Tony Dorsett, Marcus Allen and Charles Woodson. Burrow would be the first quarterback to do so if the Bengals win the Super Bowl in two weeks. 👀 We'll be watching. |
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 | | Bengals defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin lifts up Joe Burrow after winning the AFC championship game Sunday in Kansas City. | | Albert Cesare, The Cincinnati Enquirer | |
A break from the news |
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