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The Food and Drug Administration just approved a new round of updated COVID-19 vaccines for the fall, but fewer Americans will be eligible for the shots for the first time. The agency, under the guidance of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., issued the approvals for the new COVID vaccines only for people who are 65 and older or have underlying health conditions. In previous years, the annual COVID booster shot was widely approved, not just cleared for specific populations. The change could affect insurance coverage for the shots and means that patients seeking the new vaccines may now need to have them prescribed by a doctor off-label. The government also revoked the emergency use authorizations used to make the COVID vaccines widely available since they were first developed in the pandemics early days. That change will likely make the updated shots, which target the dominant JN.1 variant of the virus, more difficult to obtain. The emergency use authorizations for COVID vaccines, once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration, are now rescinded, Kennedy said in an update on X. The American people demanded science, safety, and common sense. I promised 4 things: 1. to end covid vaccine mandates. 2. to keep vaccines available to people who want them, especially the vulnerable. 3. to demand placebo-controlled trials from companies. 4. to end the emergency. In a series of FDA actions today we accomplished— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 27, 2025 Kennedy said that the changes reflect his promise to end mandates while keeping COVID vaccines available to people who want them, especially the vulnerable. With new obstacles in place that limit vaccines for healthy Americans, that may not prove to be true. Childrens vaccine access will change On X, Kennedy said that children 6 months old and above can obtain the Moderna vaccine, while the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is available for kids above age 5 and the Novavax version is approved for those 12 and up. The new criteria limiting the FDAs vaccine recommendations to people with underlying health conditions also apply to children. Under the now-rescinded emergency use authorization, Pfizers COVID shot was available for children under 5. The Moderna vaccine will now be the only option for parents wishing to vaccinate young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend the COVID vaccine for all children 6 months old to 23 months old unless they have relevant allergies. The AAP, the main professional association of pediatricians in the U.S., also recommends a single dose of the vaccine in children 2 and older with a high risk of severe COVID-19, those living in a long-term care facility, and those living with someone else at high risk for severe COVID-19. The organization also recommends one vaccine dose for anyone from 2 to 18 who has never received the vaccine. The pediatric groups vaccine advice split with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which scaled back its recommendations after Trump took office. It differs from recent recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC, which was overhauled this year and replaced with individuals who have a history of spreading vaccine misinformation, the organization said in a press release earlier this month. With the rise of the anti-vaccine movement in the U.S., childhood vaccination has become a particular flashpoint in recent years. National vaccination rates are falling, and previously controlled diseases like measles are roaring back. Once a fringe belief in the U.S., vaccine skepticism is now a mainstream political view, buoyed by a proliferation of health misinformation and cash-flush organizations riding the wave of post-pandemic resentment. Those groups and their followers have a champion in Kennedy, who founded the Childrens Health Defense, a prominent anti-vaccine activist organization that saw its revenues spike as the pandemic swept the globe. Kennedy now shapes U.S. vaccine policy as the nations top public health official.
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The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday said it had opened an investigation into employment practices at California’s Environmental Protection Agency. The investigation is aimed at determining whether the agency “may be engaged in employment practices that discriminate based on race, sex, color, or national origin,” the department said in a statement. Ryan Patrick Jones, Reuters
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Matthew Caldwell is stepping down as the business operations president of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and accepting a 10-year deal as CEO of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. The teams announced the deal on Wednesday. Caldwell will begin overseeing day-to-day business operations and high-level strategic initiatives for the Timberwolves, Lynx, and (the G League’s) Iowa Wolves on Sept. 2. It’s a major move by new Timberwolves and Lynx owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who assumed full control of those franchises earlier this summer. I love the NHL. I’ve enjoyed hockey and I’m a big fan of it, Caldwell said. But the NBA is just a much bigger, global platform. I really believe in Marc and Alex and their vision and what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to make Minnesota best in class. Caldwell joined the Panthers in 2014 as chief operating officer before being promoted to CEO in 2016. Our vision is for the Timberwolves and Lynx to set a new standard of excellence in pro sports and were confident that Matthew is the leader needed to make that a reality, Lore and Rodriguez said in a joint statement. Leading our organization into an innovative new era requires an exceptional individual at the helm and Matthews proven track record leading the business of the Florida Panthers is undeniable. We cant wait to see the remarkable impact his bold leadership will have on this organization. Caldwell who served in the Army, is a West Point grad, received MBA and law degrees from Northwestern and worked on Wall Street for Goldman Sachs played a major role in many parts of the Panthers’ turnaround in recent years, especially off the ice. Earlier this year the Panthers extended their operating agreement with Broward County for five more years, ensuring that the team remains in the South Florida market through 2033 and likely well beyond. The team is playing host to an outdoor game in the Miami Marlins’ stadium for the first time this season, has a long waiting list for season tickets and opened a new practice facility at Fort Lauderdale’s War Memorial two years ago. Caldwell said the change was somewhat bittersweet, which was a sentiment echoed by Panthers owner Vincent Viola. “There are very few opportunities I would advise him to pursue, but working with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore on a global platform like the NBA is at the top of that list, Viola said. Its tremendously bittersweet for our family, but we recognize this is an exceptional opportunity and great next step in his career. Matts impact on our organization has been immeasurable and he leaves with our respect and gratitude. Tim Reynolds, AP basketball writer
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