You probably won't need a booster soon
 THE BIG STORY
Here's why you probably won't need a booster shot against the Delta variant any time soon
The Delta variant is rising. In some parts of the US, the variant makes up more than 80% of new cases. It's also linked to surges in the UK and Africa, with worries of another surge coming in Europe.
In light of worries about the Delta variant, vaccine-makers Pfizer and BioNTech said it "may be beneficial" for people to get a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine within six months to a year. But here's the thing: US health officials and other scientists have vehemently disagreed, saying our current vaccines are holding up really well — at least so far.
In an unusual joint statement, the CDC and the FDA said "Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time." In the US, 99.5% of COVID-19 deaths are now among people who are unvaccinated.
It's reasonable to hold off on booster shots because, scientists told us, vaccines are still holding off infections against current variants and because even in the rare cases when vaccinated people do get infected, they're protected against severe disease and death.  Marc Ocampo vaccinates Douglas Rozier, 59, during an evening COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Long Beach, California, on July 6. Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
A London cop had pleaded guilty to murdering British woman Sarah Everard
The kidnapping, rape, and killing of 33-year-old Sarah Everard shocked the UK and the world. Everard was killed in a seemingly random attack while walking home from a friend's place in March. Her murder set off a tidal wave of grief and anger in the UK.
Wayne Couzens, the 48-year-old former Metropolitan Police officer, had already admitted to kidnapping and rape, and pleaded guilty to the charges last month. At the time, he also admitted he "was responsible for her killing," but did not enter a plea on the murder charge, prosecutors said.
On Friday, Couzens pleaded guilty to Everard's murder. He will be sentenced on Sept. 29. SNAPSHOTS
The Biden administration will limit the detention and arrest of pregnant immigrants. The change comes after a Government Accountability Office report found that ICE had detained more than 4,500 pregnant detainees between 2016 and 2018, and that while most were kept in custody for less than a week, about 10% were in detention for more than a month.
An alleged Capitol rioter came disguised as a journalist, prosecutors say. A judge initially refused to issue an arrest warrant, but agreed following a fuller explanation about how the government had determined the suspect wasn't a member of the press.
A man will serve 5 years in prison for a hate crime attack on a Black teen with a bike lock. Lee Mouat, 43, pleaded guilty to attacking a Black teen in the face with a bike lock, knocking out several of his teeth, while yelling racial slurs.
The statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville has been taken down. Zyahna Bryant, who started the 2016 petition to remove Lee's statue, witnessed it being taken down. "That is a moment I will never forget," she told BuzzFeed News.  Workers remove a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee from Market Street Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. Win Mcnamee / Getty Images BACK TO SCHOOL
In a bid to reopen schools, the CDC said fully vaccinated students and teachers don't need masks
The CDC has generally taken a cautious approach to schools throughout most of the coronavirus pandemic.
But its new school guidance is an interesting departure from that approach: the agency is pushing all schools in the US to fully reopen in the fall, and stresses that students and teachers don't need to wear masks if they are fully vaccinated.
This is a big shift from the guidance announced in May, when the agency had recommended the use of masks for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The new guidance says only teachers, students, and staff who are not fully vaccinated and who are indoors should wear masks.
The revised policy emphasizes the importance of in-person learning, regardless of whether schools could implement all the steps recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. LOVE IN A HOPELESS PLACE We caught up with Prancer, the nightmare chihuahua. We found a story of redemption
In April, Prancer the chihuahua went viral after his foster mom posted, desperate for someone to take the pup. She wrote a Facebook post begging for someone to adopt him despite knowing there was not a market "for neurotic, man-hating, animal-hating, children-hating dogs that look like gremlins."
Quickly, Prancer became a sensation. A difficult boi, beloved in his difficulty. And guess what? Prancer has found his forever person who loves him anyway.
We went to visit Prancer and his person, Ariel Davis, and the whole piece is so, so good. She told us, "There's some times where I look at him like, You're the most beautiful dog I've ever seen. And then there's some times I'm like, What hole did you crawl out of?" Take a moment to acknowledge your resilience that carried you here, 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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