Get the USA TODAY app Flying spiders explained Start the day smarter ☀️ Honor all requests?
NEWS
5 Things to Know

Tennessee floods, Jesse Jackson hospitalized, Proud Boys leader sentencing: 5 things to know Monday

Editors
USA TODAY

Full FDA approval for Pzifer-BioNTech vaccine on the way?

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine could win full FDA approval as soon as Monday, multiple media outlets have reported. The New York Times, citing people familiar with the planning who were not authorized to speak publicly, said the approval might come a day or two later if parts of the review need more time. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told ABC's "This Week" he "wouldn't be surprised" if the FDA soon issues full approval. The vaccines from Pfizer, as well as those made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are being made available under an emergency use authorization. Some vaccine-hesitant Americans have questioned the safety of the jabs, citing the lack of full FDA approval.

Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 Things podcast: 

More than a dozen still missing in Tennessee after floods 

At least 22 people were dead and 20 remained missing Monday after record-shattering downpours triggered flooding across parts of Tennessee. The hardest-hit areas saw double the rain that area of Middle Tennessee had in the previous worst-case scenario for flooding, meteorologists said. Grey Collier, public information officer for the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency, said hundreds of homes may be uninhabitable. Gov. Bill Lee and U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty surveyed the damage Sunday. “Goodness gracious,” Lee said on a car ride as he saw homes taken off their foundations and moved into neighbors’ yards. Among those killed were twin babies who were swept from their father’s arms, according to surviving relatives. 

Jesse Jackson, wife Jacqueline hospitalized with COVID-19

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, 79, and his wife, Jacqueline, 77, remain hospitalized Monday after testing positive for COVID-19. The famed civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate was vaccinated against the virus, getting his first dose in January during a publicized event. He and his wife are being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Despite having been diagnosed for Parkinson's disease, Jackson has remained active and has advocated for COVID-19 vaccines for Black people, who lag behind white people in the United States' vaccination drive.

One year after Jacob Blake shooting, some in Kenosha 'don’t want to move on'

Monday marks one year since Jacob Blake, then a 29-year-old Black man, was shot multiple times in the back by Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey. Blake was left paralyzed. The video of the shooting, which was widely shared on social media, sparked protests across the U.S. and in Kenosha, where many businesses were hit with vandalism and arson. The community is still coming to grips with all that happened over three tumultuous summer days and nights that began Aug. 23, 2020. Some said it's better to move on, while others worry that will leave issues of race, opportunity and security lurking beneath the surface. “Kenosha, collectively, is trying to forget what happened. I would say that’s a huge problem,” said the Kenosha Rev. Jonathan Barker.

Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio to be sentenced in BLM banner burning

Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio faces sentencing Monday after pleading guilty in court for the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner and attempted possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device. Each offense carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $1,000 fine. The crime occurred on Dec. 12, when unidentified members of the Proud Boys stole a Black Lives Matter banner from Asbury United Methodist Church at 11th and K streets, according to the Justice Department. The group then burned the banner at a nearby intersection, the department said. Tarrio was arrested Jan. 4 while on a phone call with a USA TODAY reporter. 

Featured Weekly Ad