“Nobody expected it to be this good”
 THE BIG STORY
COVID-19 vaccines work way better than we had ever expected. Scientists are still trying to figure out why.
It might seem like a distant memory now, but in October 2020, the FDA set the efficacy threshold for any COVID-19 vaccines at 50%. Anthony Fauci, the face of America's coronavirus response, dreamed of more — he hoped any vaccines that come forward would be maybe 70% effective.
Instead, those dreams were leapfrogged by leaps and bounds. In November, the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna reported an astonishing 95% efficacy in clinical trials.
It would be well and good if the amazing news stopped there. But now, a few months into the US vaccination campaign, these vaccines are proving to be just as effective in the real world as they were in clinical trials, while remaining highly protective against the more contagious variants spreading worldwide.
We ended up here partly because of luck, and partly because of preparedness. One expert told us, "Nobody really expected it to be this good." Dan Vergano explains why these vaccines are as extraordinary as it gets.  Charles Muro, age 13, celebrates being inoculated in Hartford, Connecticut. Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
Meghan Markle has given birth to a baby girl named Lilibet Diana
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed the arrival of their second child, a baby girl named Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
The baby was born Friday at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California at 11:40 a.m. and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Mother and child are "healthy and well and settling in at home," a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said.
The spokesperson said, "Lili is named after her great-grandmother Her Majesty the Queen, whose family nickname is 'Lilibet.' Her middle name, 'Diana,' was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, the Princess of Wales." We put together a deep dive into everything you need to know about the baby's name.
The baby girl is eighth in line to the British throne. SNAPSHOTS
Congressional staff are organizing to make the people who work on Capitol Hill less white. Even though members of Congress are now more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before, the people who work for those politicians are still overwhelmingly white. A new staff-led organization plans to change that.
A school district agreed to pay $3 million after an 8-year-old who was bullied killed himself. The parents of Gabriel Taye said the school covered up the bullying on multiple occasions, which they believe led to his death. As part of the settlement agreement, Cincinnati Public Schools has agreed to put a number of changes in place.
Drake Bell has been charged with child endangerment. Bell, 34, is best known for starring in Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh. The charges stem from a December 2017 interaction between Bell and a 15-year-old child at a Cleveland nightclub, according to a spokesperson for prosecutors.
Meet the guys selling memes as NFTS — for a price. Connor Flanigan and Greg Cervenak are brokering an auction for Numa Numa Dance, Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger, and Two Pretty Best Friends.
With COVID cases at record lows, it feels like everyone in America is outside. As reopenings continue across the country, basically all of America is doing outside things. We collected some photos of the bursting joy.  Sheep Meadow, Central Park on May 22, 2021 in New York City. Alexi Rosenfeld / Getty Images CAUGHT OFF-GUARD
US border officers are collecting DNA from asylum-seekers even though they don't have criminal records
At some official border crossings, Customs and Border Protection officers have asked immigrants to rub a swab on the inside of their cheeks. The swabs are then sent to the FBI's Combined DNA Index System.
This is happening because of a Trump-era rule that allowed the Department of Homeland Security to collect samples from asylum-seekers as part of the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005.
You've heard of this — the existence of the rule has been widely reported. But it's the implementation on asylum-seekers that has caught immigration advocates off guard.
WORLDS TO EXPLORE 47 science fiction and fantasy novels starring LGBTQ+ characters
Science fiction and fantasy novels have long been a space where LGBTQ+ characters flourish, and fans of the genre know to celebrate this aspect.
Wishing you a day filled with reminders that you are enough, Elamin 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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