What to know about the new Covid-19 boosters

Plus, calm returns to Baghdad — for now.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

The FDA authorizes new omicron-specific vaccine booster shots; Iraq's political turmoil lingers.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin. TOP NEWS Same pandemic, new vaccine Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury/NurPhoto via Getty Images Wednesday, the FDA authorized emergency use of new Covid-19 booster shots, marking the first time the vaccines have been updated. [Science / Gretchen Vogel] The Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech boosters target the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which are now responsible for almost 90 percent of US cases. [Reuters / Mrinalika Roy and Julie Steenhuysen] The FDA authorized Pfizer/BioNTech's booster for people 12 and older who completed their first vaccine series, while Moderna's is approved for those 18 and older. The boosters should be taken at least two months after a previous dose. [NPR / Scott Hensley and Rob Stein] The new jabs are part of the federal government's effort to encourage the public to get boosted to avoid a fall surge as people spend more time indoors. [Washington Post / Laurie McGinley] Because of time constraints, the booster effectiveness is based on animal studies and data from BA.1. It's unclear exactly how well the vaccines will perform against BA.4 and BA.5; human trial data could be available in two months. [CNBC / Spencer Kimball] The CDC is meeting this week to determine guidelines for administering booster shots. If approved, new doses could arrive next week. [Vox / Umair Irfan] 📍 Go deeper Vox's Keren Landman explains why developing next-generation vaccines and improving air filtration should be the next big pandemic investments. [Vox / Keren Landman] Iraq's political turmoil erupts in violence Calm appears to have returned to Iraq's capital, Baghdad, after dozens were killed and hundreds wounded in the worst violence in years. [BBC / Raffi Berg] Clashes began Monday when populist Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced his retirement from politics. [Al Jazeera / Ali Hashem]  Al-Sadr supporters angrily stormed Baghdad's presidential palace, kicking off 24 hours of gun battles and rocket attacks in the government district and across the country. It ended when Sadr called off his supporters. [Washington Post / Mustafa Salim and Kareem Fahim] Iraq has faced political turmoil since October 2021 elections when Sadr's nationalist party failed to win enough seats to form a government. Sadr refused to share power with the Coordination Framework, a rival Shiite group with ties to Iran. [CBS News / Omar Abdulkader] Sadr is calling for the dissolution of parliament and early elections; however, political leaders disagree about how to move forward, leaving the potential for more violence. [Associated Press / Samya Kullab] MISCELLANEOUS The Department of Justice claims Donald Trump's team likely obstructed efforts to recover classified documents from Mar-a-Lago. [Vox / Ben Jacobs] Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, died Tuesday at age 91. He leaves behind a complicated legacy. [AP / Kirsten Grieshaber and Patrick Quinn] Parts of California could see a brutal heat wave with triple-digit temperatures over Labor Day weekend. [Guardian / Maanvi Singh] Wednesday, Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) resigned from his US House seat. He faces the GOP's Ron DeSantis in the race for Florida governor. [CNN / Steve Contorno]   Support our journalism   Reader contributions help keep newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a one-time gift today. Give VERBATIM "We need to allow people to protect themselves from a virus that we can't fully control." [Leif Erik Sander, an infectious disease expert at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin / Science] LISTEN TO THIS Salamander search party One of the world's most biodiverse aquifers is full of strange, blind creatures that have evolved in isolation for millions of years. But one is missing.   Listen now   ▶ Read more from Vox Mikhail Gorbachev and the merits of the inside game The "fairness" debate over student loan forgiveness, explained They hate to see a nepotism baby winning Inside Mark Zuckerberg's biggest bet How your TV settings ruin movies This email was sent to vox@quicklydone.com. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.   View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.   Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.