GRIF MAG

It's an anniversary no one wants to celebrate, but an anniversary nonetheless.

Thursday, March 19, marked six years since the first COVID-19 lockdown was implemented in the United States. And while it is undeniable that the impact of the global pandemic is still felt worldwide, one place Americans see its lingering effects the most is in vaccine policy.

Vaccine hesitancysurgedafter the FDA approved the first COVID vaccine in August 2021. Since then, it has only bolstered following the appointment of Health and Human Services SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, early in Trump's second administration.

The Trump administration's ensuing actions around vaccination have beenadmonished by major medical institutionsand public health experts,with some warningthat more Americans, especially children, may die from preventable diseases as a result. Kennedy hassaid the vaccines will remain availableto anyone who wants them, andsupporters have praisedwhat they say is a move toward a more individual rights-based approach to public health.

Even more confusingly, a complicated set of rules and changes around the COVID-19 shotwas overturned earlier this weekby a federal judge, rendering some hotly-contested decision moot - at least for now.

Here's a refresher on the back-and-forth regarding the COVID vaccine, so far.

What did the judge rule about COVID and other vaccine changes?

On March 16,a Massachusetts federal judge blocked parts of HHS's reshaping of federal vaccine policy, siding with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical groups that sued to stop what they called Kennedy's agenda of upending immunization policies.

The judge also blocked Kennedy's 13 appointees from serving on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), finding the panel unlawfully constituted.

Kennedy had firedall 17 original membersof the ACIP, which is a committee of health experts that guides vaccine use for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,replacing them with memberswhom critics have called unqualified. Some of the members, like Kennedy, have a history of anti-vaccine advocacy and involvement in anti-vaccine groups.

The judge said that because it was unlawfully constituted, the earlier panel's votes to downgrade recommendations for hepatitis B vaccines for newborns and COVID-19 shots broadly were also invalid

Federal ruling:Judge blocks parts of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine policy changes

RFK Jr., Trump admin butt heads with medical societies over COVID vaccine

In May 2025, Kennedy announced that the COVID-19 vaccine wouldno longer be includedin the CDC's recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, a move breaking with expert guidance.

This drew the ire of the AAP, which went as far as torelease its own schedulein August 2025, saying the federal process was no longer credible. Others, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), backed AAP's recommendations.

It is recommended that all children aged 6 months to 23 months receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine to reduce the chances of serious illness. Children and adolescents ages 2 to 18 without other high-risk factors, such as immunosuppression, can receive and should be offered the vaccine if they were not immunized before, according to the guidance.

In a response posted to social media,Kennedy hit back at the pediatrics academy's criticism, implying that corporate pharmaceutical funders influenced the organization's views.

What changed about who could get the COVID vaccine?

In August 2025, the FDA approved an updatedround of COVID vaccines, but only for individuals 65 years of age or older. Additionally, people aged 6 months or older with existing health conditions were eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine without a prescription or doctor's order.

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The ACIP voted in September 2025to recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone 6 months or older, based on individual decision-making after they consult with a healthcare provider, known as "shared clinical decision-making." The CDC officially accepted these recommendations on Oct. 6.

In some cases, physicians, registered nurses and pharmacists are considered healthcare providers,according to the CDC, and therefore could administer vaccines after discussing them with the patient.

People could also self-declare that they are moderately or severely immunocompromised and qualify for the vaccine without third-party confirmation,according to CDC guidelines.In some cases, you could be asked to sign a paper confirming that you have an underlying condition or provide verbal confirmation.

What to know right now:RFK Jr., the CDC and confusing vaccine recommendations

Which COVID shots were approved by the FDA?

On Aug. 27,Kennedyannounced that emergency-use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccineshad been terminated. The FDA approved the following vaccines:

• Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax immunizations were approved only for "those at high risk" and people over 65.

• Moderna vaccine was approved for children 6 months and older with an underlying condition and people over 65.

• Pfizer was approved for those 5 and older with an underlying condition and people over 65.

• Novavax was approved for those 12 and older with an underlying condition and people over 65.

When announcing the restrictions, Kennedy did not specify which conditions are considered as putting people at "high risk." However, theCDC lists a bevy of health conditionsthat make someone "higher risk," including common health issues like asthma, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, mood disorders and a history of smoking.

In response,several states passed their own regulationsto protect access to COVID-19 vaccines. A handful of states formed groups to address vaccine availability, including theWest Coast Health Allianceand theNortheast Public Health Collaborative.

What other changes did RFK's HHS make to vaccines?

Kennedy has spearheaded several other changes to U.S. vaccine schedules and recommendations, includingremoving four from the childhood listand splitting the MMR vaccine ‒ a combination shot protecting against measles, mumps, and rubella ‒ into two separate vaccines. Kennedy, withPresident Donald Trump'sbacking, said cutting the number of vaccinationsaligns the United Stateswith other developed nations.

The updated recommendations maintain immunizations for 11 diseases, including measles, mumps, and varicella, while categorizing others as either targeted for high-risk groups or subject to parents' discretion with their doctors, according to HHS.

The ACIPalso changed recommendationsregarding the first of three hepatitis B shots normally given at birth, a practice long used to protect babies highly susceptible to infection and transmission. In December, it declared that only babies born to moms who test positive for hepatitis B should receive the shot at birth, advice that experts said would lead to many babies not receiving a full course of immunization.

What happens now?

Because Kennedy's ACIP appointees were blocked via the recent court ruling, the meeting scheduled for March 18 to March 19 was postponed. Future meetings are yet to be determined.

Changes to the hepatitis B vaccines for newborns and COVID-19 shots made via earlier ACIP votes were deemed invalid. This theoretically means that the recommendations would revert to what they were before the current committee was formed.

These recommendations match theschedules currently followed by the AAP.For the Hep B shot, this means the previous recommendation applies: One dose is given within 24 hours of birth, the second is given one to two months after and the third dose is given between 6 and 18 months of age.

Other changes, such as splitting the MMR vaccine, remain in place.

The Trump administration has promised to appeal the case and take it up to SCOTUS, if necessary.

Contributing: James Powel, Adrianna Rodriguez, Sudiksha Kochi,USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:COVID vaccine guidance today: What to know 6 years since lockdown.

Thebehemoth exotic fish known as Asian carphave marched toward the Great Lakes for more than 25 years, but so far preventive efforts have kept the long-feared invasion of the prolific species at bay.

Officials in Michigan and Illinois would really love to keep it that way. But a standoff with the federal government is slowing plans down, while some urge immediate action to stay ahead of the fish.

The states are part of a multi-state and international coalition bent on keeping the voracious fish out of the region's waterways. The fear is that the fish –weighing up to 100 poundsand eating 10% of their weight in algae every day – could alter ecosystems and collapse recreational and commercial fishing throughout the Great Lakes.

However, progress on a long-planned project to build an elaborate multi-layered system to prevent the advance of the invaders has slowed to a halt with no definite end in sight.

"If this fish ever becomes commonplace in the Great Lakes, it will destroy it as a fishery and change it forever," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois,said on the Senate Flooron March 11.

The carp are just four ofthousands of species of invasive plants and animalsfound in the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska. The "pervasive and insidious threat" costs the nation an estimated $120 billion a year, according to the United StatesRegister of Introduced and Invasive Species. They've come through intentional and accidental imports and releases as well as from the exotic wildlife trade.

What are Asian carp and why are they feared?

Asian carp is the umbrella term for four fish species from Asia. They're a cause for concern because of their established potential to disrupt food chains and compete for resources with native species. The fish also pose concerns for navigation and boater safety. When startled, silver carp can leap several feet out of the water and injure boaters.

All four – bighead, silver, black and grass – were introduced to the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s. But a series of floods in the Midwest washed the carp from fish farms into major rivers, where their populations have boomed.

With concern growing for what could happen if the carp reach the Great Lakes, the Army Corps of Engineers began operating an electric dispersal barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 2002, to prevent the fish from spreading into the channel and into the Great Lakes. Two additional barriers became operational in 2009 and 2012.

A carp has been collected on isolated occasions nearing the Great Lakes. Grass carp, the least troublesome of the group, have been found in Lake Erie, but so far the fish have not become established, according to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the binational treaty organization dedicated to promoting freshwater science and collaboration within the basin and controlling the exotic invasive sea lamprey.

No bighead or silver carp have ever been reported in Lake Michigan, said Greg McClinchey, the commission's director of policy and legislative affairs. On isolated occasions a carp has been spotted on the wrong side of the electrical barrier. A detection involves varying levels of response. On at least one occasion, a flotilla of boats responded from the research group that monitors the Illinois River and the Chicago canal system, to make sure it was one lone fish.

What is the Brandon Road Interbasin project?

The standoff centers on a joint project with a multi-layered set of deterrents and technological solutions being developed at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam – on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Illinois – to keep the carp species from entering the Great Lakes.

The lock and dam complex is part of a waterway system that allows boats to move from the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan. It's often referred to as a critical "pinchpoint" for keeping invasives out of the lake. The river and canal are part of a larger waterway dubbed "The Great Loop" by recreational boaters that includes The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Mississippi River.

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The Army Corps worked with state governments and Congress to develop the project. It includes acoustic and electric deterrents, an air bubble curtain and a reengineered channel and flushing lock. It was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 and supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with $272 million in support over two years.Illinois and Michigan agreed to chip inanother $114 million.

Then shortly after the PresidentDonald Trump's second inauguration, the administration paused distribution of the infrastructure funds. That pause in funding prompted Illinois to delay buying a piece of property needed for the project.

In a May 2025 memorandum,President Donald Trump directed his administration toimplement barriers/measures to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes, but singled out Illinois. The memo stated the federal government had started site preparation but blamed Pritzker for delaying the land purchase and a needed state permit.

Carp control project delayed

In December 2025, the federal government paused the Brandon Road project for further review and has not released critical funds to get the project going, according to the offices of Pritzker and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Both governors and Durbin have pushed for the federal funding to be released so the project can move forward.

Whitmermet with the president on March 10.Afterward, her office released a statement saying she had reiterated Michigan's commitment to the Brandon Road project to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes and damaging the region's economy

"We need funding released so the Army Corps can begin construction as soon as possible," said Stacey LaRouche, her press secretary.

On March 11,President Trump posted on Truth Socialthat he is working with the governor "on trying to save the Great Lakes from the rather violent and destructive Asian carp, which is rapidly taking over Lake Michigan."

It wasn't immediately clear what his post signaled, and Whitmer and Pritzker have asked for clarification. The White House referred USA TODAY to the Army Corps. The Corps has not yet responded to an email request.

The Fishery Commission was "very pleased to see the president's post," to show this is an important project, McClinchey said.

The delays need to stop, he said. "Hopefully the president's post and the stated comments from the governors will allow this to go ahead."

"The fish don't care if you're Republican or Democrat, state or federal. They are just continuing their march and we have to get ahead of them," he said. The lock and dam have to stop the carp, "or it's a catastrophe in the making."

Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, weather, the environment and other news. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Giant, invasive Asian carp pose existential threat to Great Lakes

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) —South Koreanrescue workers on Saturday recovered the remains of 14 people from the charred wreckage of an auto parts factory in the central city of Daejeon, where an explosion and fire injured at least 59 others.

South Korea Fire

Fire officials said 25 people were seriously injured but it wasn't immediately clear whether any were in life-threatening condition. More than 500 firefighters, police and emergency personnel were deployed to contain the fire and conduct rescue operations after it broke out Friday afternoon.

Videos and photos from the scene showed thick gray smoke billowing from the complex and some workers jumping from a building belonging to Anjun Industrial.

Nam Deuk-woo, fire chief of the city's Daedeok district, said the blaze destroyed a factory building that firefighters initially could not enter over fears it might collapse. Searches for the missing workers began late Friday after officials deployed unmanned firefighting robots to cool the structure and conducted a safety inspection.

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Nine of the 14 dead were discovered in what is believed to have been a gym on the third floor, while three were found near a water tank on the second floor. All the missing have now been accounted for.

South Korean PresidentLee Jae Myungvisited the site Saturday afternoon, meeting with relatives of the victims and calling for safety measures to prevent the damaged structure from collapsing during search operations.

The fire was reported at about 1:18 p.m. Friday. Nam said the cause was not immediately known, but the blaze appeared to have spread rapidly, with witnesses reporting an explosion. Firefighters focused on preventing the blaze from spreading to an adjacent facility and isolating explosive chemicals. Nam said workers recovered more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of highly reactive chemicals from the site.

Some people were injured when they jumped from the building to escape, while others suffered smoke inhalation, officials said. As of Saturday morning, 28 people were hospitalized and four of them underwent surgeries for broken bones and other injuries.

About 120 vehicles and pieces of equipment, including aircraft, an unmanned water cannon vehicle and two firefighting robots for hard-to-reach areas, were deployed, along with hundreds of personnel.

Get excited—there's another New York Times game to add to your daily routine! Those of us word game addicts who already playWordle,Connections,Strandsand theMini Crosswordnow haveConnections Sports Editionto add to the mix.So, if you're looking for some hints and answers for today's Connections Sports Edition onSaturday, March 21, 2026, you've come to the right place.

🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox

What Is Connections Sports Edition?

Connections Sports Edition is just like the regular Connections word puzzle, in that it's a game that resets at 12 a.m. EST each day and has 16 different words listed. It's up to you to figure out each group of four words that belong to a certain category, with four categories in total.

This new version is sports-specific, however, as a partnership between The New York Times and The Athletic.

As the NYT site instructs, for Connections Sports Edition, you "group sports terms that share a common thread."

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Related:The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You'll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle

Hints for Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories on March 21, 2026

Here are some hints about the four categories to help you figure out the word groupings.

• Yellow: Think Mary Lou Retton.

• Green: Think Muhammad Ali.

• Blue:Taylor Swift's fiancé is one.

• Purple: Hockey teams.

Here Are Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories

OK, time for a second hint…we'll give you the actual categories now. Spoilers below!

• Yellow: GYMNASTICS APPARATUSES

• Green: AT THE BOXING RING

• Blue: FIRST NAMES OF NFL TIGHT ENDS

• Purple: STARTS OF NHL TEAM NAMES

If you're looking for the answers, no worries—we've got them below. So, don't scroll any further if you don't want to see the solutions!The answers to today'sConnections Sports Edition #544are coming up next.Related:15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day

What Are the Answers to Connections Sports Edition Today?

• GYMNASTICS APPARATUSES: BARS, BEAM, FLOOR, VAULT

• AT THE BOXING RING: BELL, CORNER, ROPE, TURNBUCKLE

• FIRST NAMES OF NFL TIGHT ENDS: BROCK, DALLAS, HUNTER, TRAVIS

• STARTS OF NHL TEAM NAMES: FLY, ISLAND, OIL, RANG

Don't worry if you didn't get them this time—we've all been there.

Up next,catch up on the answers to recent Wordle puzzles.

Related: This High-Tech Grill Season Must-Have Takes the Guesswork Out of Cooking: 'Thoroughly Impressed'

This story was originally published byParadeon Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in theLifesection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

45 years ago today, on March 21, 1981,Willie Nelsonscored his seventh major country hit with "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground." The song, released in 1980, was a featured track for the musical drama,Honeysuckle Rose, which also gave the legendary icon his first leading role, playing the character ofBuck Bonham.

RELATED:'80s No. 1 Hit Ranked Best 'Country Love Song Duet' of All Time

Penned and produced solely by Nelson, "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" is a poetic, deeply sentimental ballad that reflects on the inevitability of letting go of someone you love. In the song,The Red Headed Stranger, 92, plays a heroic role, portraying a figure who comes to the rescue of a wounded soul that he refers to as an "angel" that fell "too close to the ground."

"If you had not a-fallen, then I would not have found you / Angel flying too close to the ground / And I patched up your broken wing / And hung around a while / Trying to keep your spirits up / And your fever down," Nelson sings throughout first verse of the emotionally-charged track before heading into the chorus: "I knew someday that you would fly away / For love's the greatest healer to be found / So leave me if you need to, I will still remember / Angel flying too close to the ground."

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The Inspiration Behind the Song Remains Unclear

While the ballad was included in the soundtrack toHoneysuckle Rose, the song's true inspiration remains something of a mystery. According toAmerican Songwriter, the song may have either been written about Nelson's ex-wifeConnie Koepkeor his good friendCharlie Magoo, a Hells Angels biker who passed away in 1971.

"Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" was one of several tunes Nelson wrote forHoneysuckle Roseas he contributed the entire soundtrack of the same name to the film. Other notable songs from that album, which hit No. 1 on theBillboardHot Country Albums chart, include "On the Road Again," "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," and "Bloody Mary Morning."

Though the album has several timeless songs and chart toppers, Nelson previously revealed that "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" is one of two songs that he can't help but get choked up over while playing live.

"Yeah, there are a couple," Nelson toldGQ. "'Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground' is one. 'Always on My Mind' is another."

Over the years, "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" has become so beloved that it has been covered countless times.Bob Dylan,Chris Stapleton, andAlison Kraussare among the artists who have put their own spin on the country classic.

Related: 1974 No 1. Hit Ranked a Greatest 'Love Song of All Time' Turns 52 Years Old Today

This story was originally published byParadeon Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.