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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in White Oak, Md., on June 5, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) 

The Food and Drug Administration will not approve COVID-19 vaccines for many Americans absent trial data showing that the benefits outweigh the risks, according to top agency officials.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Vinay Prasad, head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said that the FDA’s new COVID-19 vaccine framework will have two tiers. 

For people aged 65 or older, and for people at high risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, manufacturers will only need to provide proof that a vaccine can trigger antibodies. For everyone else, or those without risk factors, the FDA is requiring data from randomized, controlled trials showing that a vaccine prevents symptomatic COVID-19, death, and other outcomes.

“The FDA can only approve products if it concludes, based on scientific evidence, the benefit-to-harm balance is favorable. And we simply need more data to have that confidence for younger individuals at low-risk of severe disease,” Prasad said in prepared remarks from the FDA’s headquarters in Maryland on May 20.

The trials will not be required every year, but likely every few years, he stated.

Some 100 million to 200 million Americans fall under the first tier, the officials estimated in the New England Journal of Medicine article.

“At last, FDA is recognizing the need for ‘evidence-based medicine’ and controlled trials to support the concept of boosters without end,” Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, told The Epoch Times via email. (More)

More Politics:

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued a first-ever state waiver to Nebraska, banning soda and energy drink purchases with SNAP, or food stamps.

“Prior to this waiver, SNAP recipients could buy anything except alcohol, tobacco, hot foods, and personal care products,” said the statement.

The waiver, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026, is part of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda, the USDA said, adding that this “historic action seeks to reverse alarming disease trends across the country.”

One in three children between the ages of 12 and 19 is affected by prediabetes, it said. Forty percent of school-aged children and adolescents suffer from at least one chronic condition, while 15 percent of students in high school drink a minimum of one soda per day.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February establishing the President’s Commission to Make America Healthy Again. The agency is tasked with investigating the “root causes of America’s escalating health crisis,” including chronic disease among children, according to the White House. (More)

More U.S. News

Britain and the European Union announced fresh sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.

Brussels and London made the move without waiting for Washington to join them, a day after President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Britain said the sanctions against 100 new targets follow Russian drone attacks against Ukrainian cities over the weekend.

The new measures target supply chains for Russian weapons systems, including Iskander missiles, Kremlin-funded information operations, and financial institutions that help Russia evade sanctions, Britain said.

Britain also imposed new sanctions on the Russian disinformation group Social Design Agency, 46 financial institutions aiding sanctions evasion, and 18 vessels in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which is allegedly used to bypass oil export restrictions.

Shortly afterward, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU had approved sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet, as well as 17 individuals and 58 entities “responsible for actions undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”

Kallas said the latest round of sanctions on Russia is the most wide-sweeping since the start of the war and that more sanctions could be in the pipeline.

“Together with new hybrid, human rights, and chemical weapons-related sanctions. In this 17th package, we include Surgutneftegas—a Russian oil giant—as well as almost 200 vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet,” Kallas said.

“While Putin feigns interest in peace, more sanctions are in the works. Russia’s actions and those who enable Russia face severe consequences. The longer Russia persists with its illegal and brutal war, the tougher our response will be.” (More)

More World News:

📷 Photo of the Day: Participants conduct a neutralization of improvised explosive devices activity during a counter-weapons of mass destruction exercise within the joint multinational African Lion 2025 war games in Agadir on Morocco's Atlantic coast on May 20, 2025. (Abdel Majid Bziouat/AFP via Getty Images)

Our photography editors comb through the best images in the world every day. See their picks for today here ➞ Counter-Weapons Of Mass Destruction, Floods In India, and Heat in the Berlin Zoo

🎤 Interview: Victor Davis Hanson: How Trump is upending the status quo, from Beijing to Gaza to Kyiv. (Watch)

✍️ Opinion: Politics Can’t Strip Us of Our Humanity by Armstrong Williams (Read)

💛 Inspiration: How to stand up when life knocks you flat. (Read)

🎙️Podcast: Kaylee Law is just 19 years old, and already a city council member in her California hometown. In this episode of California Insider, she shares how homeschooling, early college enrollment, and strong community support helped shape her path into public service. (Listen)

🎵 Music: Gustav Holst - The Planets (Listen)

Bone spurs in the spine can press on nearby nerves, leading to pain, stiffness, or numbness—especially in the neck or lower back. (The Epoch Times/Shutterstock)

Bone spurs, often referred to as osteophytes, are smooth, bony outgrowths that develop over time along the edges of bones, typically in joints or along the spine.

Although they are a natural part of bone growth, they can damage surrounding bones, muscles, or tendons.

As we age, many people develop bone spurs, with osteoarthritis being one of the most common causes. However, bone spurs often cause no symptoms and may not require treatment. Certain natural and lifestyle strategies may help manage the condition.

Most people with bone spurs experience no symptoms because bone spurs themselves are not painful. However, their effect on nearby structures such as joints, nerves, and the spinal cord can lead to pain.

Back or neck pain is the most common symptom of bone spurs.

Bone spurs are part of the body’s natural healing response. As people age or experience injury, cartilage and other joint cushioning break down, causing bones to rub together. In response, the body creates bone spurs to stabilize the joint and repair the damage.

Bone spurs typically do not require treatment unless they are causing pain or other symptoms. Resting, gentle stretching, or wearing shoes with proper arch support may help relieve discomfort. Losing weight, if overweight or obese, can also reduce pressure on the joints.

See a doctor if you notice an abnormal growth, experience pain, have joint weakness, feel discomfort that worsens with activity, or have difficulty walking.

Depending on the severity of your condition, several treatment options may be available. (More)

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Thanks for reading.

Have a wonderful day.

—Ivan Pentchoukov, Madalina Hubert, and Kenzi Li.

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