World News: They made it official

Monday, August 23

Student Rose Jean-Mary, 19, receives a shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from registered nurse Isabel Ruiz at St. Thomas University on Aug. 20 in Miami. The university offered a pop-up vaccination site for students on move-in day in preparation for the first day of school Aug. 23.

The FDA gave full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. And dozens are still missing after deadly floods in Tennessee. It's Monday's news.

Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine was granted full approval by the Food and Drug Administration. In the wake of a sexual harassment scandal, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to resign at the end of the day. And a U.S. Capitol Police officer was cleared in the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6.

👋 Hey y'all! It's Laura. Here's all the news you need to know Monday.

But first, this house is definitely haunted. 🏡 They said it had good bones, but I don't think they meant it like this: An Illinois couple bought a 125-year-old house with plans to renovate it. Then they found the box of human bones in the attic.

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The Pfizer vaccine is FDA official

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine became the first to win full approval by the Food and Drug Administration on Monday. The FDA's decision to fully license the vaccine is expected to trigger more vaccination mandates and allow company marketing of the shot. Now that the companies' detailed, so-called biologics license application has been granted, many more companies, schools and other entities are likely to require vaccination. And it may launch a race for booster shots, allowing doctors to prescribe extra Pfizer-BioNTech shots "off label" to anyone they think should get one.

•	Wasn't the vaccine already approved? Not fully. Pfizer's had been approved for emergency use in the USA. Now it has the full stamp of approval.
•	What about Modera and J&J? Moderna has begun the process of applying for a full license, and Johnson & Johnson – which makes the other COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use in the USA – plans to apply this year.
•	More buy-in? Some people reluctant to take a vaccine authorized for emergency use may be willing to get a vaccine that has full approval, Anthony Fauci told USA TODAY's editorial board this month.

What everyone's talking about

•	A waitress came in sick to work. An Ohio U.S. Senate candidate tweeted about it. Then it got ugly.
•	John Travolta recalled a candid talk about death with his son Ben, 10, after his wife, Kelly Preston, died.
•	Donald Trump was booed at an Alabama rally after telling supporters to 'take the vaccines.'
•	Grimes comes for Elon Musk haters while petting a robot dog: 'I am not my bf's spokesperson.'
•	'My third baby will never be here': Chrissy Teigen on not 'fully processing' losing her son Jack.
•	A 4-year-old girl landed a potential world-record golden trout.

US Capitol officer cleared in fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6

The U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt Jan. 6 during the insurrection was cleared Monday after a review concluded the action may have spared the lives of lawmakers and staffers who had barricaded themselves inside the building. "The officer's actions were consistent with the officer's training and (U.S. Capitol Police) policies," the agency's inquiry found. Some who supported the Capitol siege cast Babbitt as a martyr to the conservative cause. Former President Donald Trump described Babbitt as "innocent." Babbitt, 35, from San Diego, was trying to climb through a barricaded door near the House Speaker's Lobby when the officer fired.

•	Timeline: How the storming of the US Capitol unfolded Jan. 6.
•	'This is how I'm going to die': Officers detail harrowing attacks, beatings.

A man outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Jan. 17 protests the death of Ashli Babbitt, 35, who was fatally shot during the riot at the Washington Capitol on Jan. 6.

Albert Cesare/USA TODAY Network

Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign at end of the day

Marking an ignominious end to his decade-plus as New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, whose last full day in office is Monday, aired a defiant prerecorded farewell address. In the video, he highlighted his accomplishments and suggested he's the victim of a "political firecracker" that derailed his career. After Cuomo, a Democrat, resigns, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will become the state's 57th governor at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Three weeks ago, an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James concluded Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women while in office, including nine current or former state employees. Cuomo, who denied the accusations, repeatedly suggested the investigation was politically motivated and designed to defame him.

•	Who is Kathy Hochul? What to know about Cuomo's lieutenant governor.
•	Cuomo put in for retirement. Here's how much his pension could be.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo prepares to board a helicopter after announcing his resignation on Aug. 10, 2021, in New York.

Seth Wenig, AP

Real quick

•	Brutal Islamic State group poses a threat to Afghan evacuation. Here's what you need to know.
•	Armed protests are picking up. And a new study says they're more likely to turn violent.
•	For Little League World Series' Ella Bruning and family, baseball is just 'part of our DNA.'
•	Former NHL forward Jimmy Hayes died at 31.
•	A rare Apple manual signed by Steve Jobs sold at an auction for nearly $800K.

Northeast lashed by historic storm; dozens missing after Southeast floods

Tropical Depression Henri inched across the Northeast on Monday, a record-setting storm that knocked out power to more than 100,000 homes and businesses and drenched parts of New York City with more than 8 inches of rain. Henri, centered about 60 miles north of New York City, was expected to begin sliding east later in the day. Flood watches were in effect across eastern Pennsylvania, southeast New York, New Jersey, Long Island and portions of New England.

After deadly floods in Tennessee, search-and-rescue teams frantically picked through the saturated ruins of dozens of homes Monday, holding out hope that missing loved ones would be found alive. At least 21 people were killed when walls of water powered by up to 17 inches of rain roared through rural Humphreys County, home to about 20,000 people 70 miles west of Nashville. Dozens of people were missing Monday, authorities said.

Emergency personnel and first responders help residents Aug. 22 after heavy rains from Henri flooded Helmetta, N.J.

Chris Slavicek/AP

A break from the news

•	🌭 A famous Arizona hot dog was named one of the best in the USA, but locals like this one better.
•	🏡 Paying your rent on time? Fannie Mae will consider rent history as part of mortgage approvals.
•	💰 Should you take a pay cut for a better job? Here's what to ask yourself.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.