Kids in the United States will now havefour fewer recommended vaccineson their childhood vaccine schedule, the Department of Health and Human Services announced. The four vaccines are for rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A, which will now be considered a shared decision between parents and doctors.Insurers will continue covering the vaccinesregardless of the category, the HHS said. The administration says the move aligns the U.S. vaccine schedule with that of other developed nations; public health experts say the decision puts children's health at risk.
Childhood vaccine schedule gets lighter
What it means for your kids:A graphical look at the revised childhood vaccine schedule
Fraud scandal drags downTim Walz
A bare-knuckles 2026 campaign season has barely begun, and it has already knocked out one high-profile candidate. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz,dogged by a scandalthat saw hundreds of millions of dollars in state Medicaid payouts exposed as possibly fraudulent, sayshe will not seek reelection. "I've decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election," Walz,Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 presidential campaign, said in a statement. Dozens of people in Minnesota have been charged with stealing taxpayer dollars in what the Justice Department called the "largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the country."
I'll have a sniff and a slice
Candle shoppers are still melting down over some of the offerings in Bath & Body Works' "Perfect Pairings" collection − in particular, the Pizza & Ranch candle, which promises notes of "gooey cheese, crispy pepperonis and ranch." The fragrance, released in December as one of the "fun and unexpected" fragrances for Candle Day 2025, brought reactions that border on the unprintable, including one that referenced a Diaper Genie pail. Other scents were Coffee & Donuts, Chips & Salsa and Popcorn & Slushie. As of Jan. 5, only the Chips & Salsa candle was available on the company's website, and alas, there was no word on restocking.
Hollywood's biggest names got glam for the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 4, in Santa Monica, California. See which stars hit the red carpet, starting with Ariana Grande." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Elle Fanning" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Adam Sandler and Jackie Sandler" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Host Chelsea Handler" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Mia Goth" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Michael Peña" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Ramy Youssef " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Mia Goth" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Chloé Zhao" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Critics Choice Awards 2026 – See Ariana Grande, more red carpet stars
Hollywood's biggest names got glam for the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 4, in Santa Monica, California. See which stars hit the red carpet, starting with Ariana Grande.
The great Oscars countdown has begun
Roll out the red carpets and chill the champagne:Hollywood's race for the Oscarskicked off Jan. 4 with the Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California, where "Sinners" and"Frankenstein"led the field with four wins each."One Battle After Another"won best picture; for best actor and actress,Timothée Chalamet of "Marty Supreme"and Jessie Buckley of "Hamnet" took home the trophies. Next up on the watch list: the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11. Hollywood's biggest night, the Academy Awards, comes March 15.
Golden Globes forecast:USA TODAY predicts who should win and who will win
Snoop goes unleashed in his NBA game call
Coaches clashing with officials is nothing new, but this brouhaha came with aSnoop Dogg play-by-play– and a rebuke from the coach's mom. The coach was the Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr, who had to be restrained after he was ejected from the game in a dispute over a missed goaltending call against the LA Clippers."Steve's raining fire on them. Woo-hoo!" barked Snoop, a guest analyst for Peacock. "The Arizona Wildcat came out. ... Rawr, rawr!" Later, Kerr said he was amused by Snoop's call, but his mother, who was at the game, was "terribly disappointed in me."− Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tragedy in Minnesota, vaccine news, Snoop's game call: Week in review
