RFK Jr. changes COVID-19 vaccine protocols
COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, joining Kennedy for the announcement posted in a video on X, called the change “common sense and good science.” Traditionally, immunization guidance is voted on by a CDC advisory committee; then the CDC director makes the final call. The CDC panel has not voted on Kennedy’s change.
COVID-19 protocols: Changes are happening. Here’s what to know
Can Trump and Musk agree to disagree?
Could there be some cooling in the Trump-Musk bromance? The president’s crusade to pass his “big, beautiful” tax and spending bill through Congress took some flak from his former right-hand man, who said he was “disappointed” with the cost of the bill and complained that it “undermines the work the DOGE team is doing.” (Musk has also criticized Trump’s tariffs.) Asked about Musk’s remarks on the spending bill, Trump cited politics: “I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it. … It’s got a way to go.” At least one break is official, however: Musk’s turbulent 130-day run as a “special government employee” is now over.
Southwest’s free-checked-bag era comes to a close
It’s the end of the line for free checked bags on Southwest. For the first time, the airline is now charging for the service: $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second bag (overweight and oversized baggage costs more). Tickets booked or changed on or before May 28 don’t apply, and for some customers, new fare categories and membership perks will still earn them free checked bags. The new fees are the latest major change for Dallas-based Southwest, including a farewell to its open seating policy of more than 50 years. In a news release, the airline acknowledged that “preferences have evolved.”
‘Duck Dynasty’ guru Phil Robertson dies
Phil Robertson, the bushy-bearded and plainspoken patriarch of the colorful Louisiana family featured on A&E Network’s “Duck Dynasty,” has died. He was 79 and had battled Alzheimer’s disease and other health problems, his family said. His family-run hunting products business, Duck Commander, was the epicenter of “Duck Dynasty,” which ran from 2012 to 2017 on the back of the clan’s three core tenets: “faith, family and ducks.” The duck call will not go silent, however; a spinoff, “Duck Dynasty: The Revival,” premieres June 1.
Caitlin Clark is hurting, and so is the WNBA
Call it the Caitlin Clark effect − in reverse. The Indiana Fever’s star guard is out for at least two weeks after she strained her left quad in a loss to the New York Liberty, which meant she would be sidelined for at least the next four games. The WNBA is feeling the pain, too: Ticket prices have plunged since news of Clark’s injury. It’s especially disappointing for the Fever’s road game June 7 against the Chicago Sky − the latest Clark vs. Angel Reese clash − which had been moved to the 23,000-plus-seat United Center to meet demand for tickets. − Compiled by Robert Abitbol, USA TODAY copy chief
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark’s quads, Trump-Musk and ‘Duck Dynasty’: Week in review
