By TOM MURPHY, Associated Press Health Writer

The fall COVID-19 vaccine season is starting slowly for Pfizer, with U.S. sales of its Comirnaty shots sinking 25% after federal regulators narrowed recommendations on who should get them.

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Approval of updated shots also came several weeks later than usual, and Pfizer said Tuesday that hurt sales as well.

Many Americans get vaccinations in the fall, to get protection from any disease surges in the coming winter. Experts say interest in COVID-19 shots has been declining, and that trend could pick up this fall due to anti-vaccine sentiment and confusion about whether the shots are necessary.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month stopped recommending COVID-19 shots for anyone, instead leaving the choice up to patients. The government agency said it was adopting recommendations made by advisers picked by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Before this year, U.S. health officials — following the advice of infectious disease experts — recommended annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older. The idea was to update protection as the coronavirus evolves.

But that sentiment started to shift earlier this year when Kennedy, who has questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, said they were no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.

Dr. Amesh Adaja said vaccine rates have been “suboptimal” in recent years even for people considered a high risk for catching a bad case of COVID-19.

“That’s only going to fall off more this season,” the senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said recently.

The shifting guidance caused some confusion in September, once updated shots began arriving at drugstores, the main place Americans go to get vaccinated. Some locations required prescriptions or started asking customers if they had a condition that made them susceptible to a bad case of COVID-19.

The change also created questions about whether insurance coverage would continue. A major industry group, America’s Health Insurance Plans, has since clarified that its members will cover the shots.

CVS Health announced earlier this month that it will not require prescriptions at its stores and clinics.

Independent pharmacy owner Theresa Tolle says this fall has probably been one of the more confusing seasons for her customers. Tolle runs the independent Bay Street Pharmacy in Sebastian, Florida.

She said her COVID-19 vaccine business has been busy because she has an older patient population. Many still want the shots. But she’s also had more customers tell her this year that they don’t want them.

“There’s just so many messages out there, they don’t know who to believe,” she said. “I’ve had people tell me they are afraid of it when they’ve had it many times.”

Pfizer saw U.S. Comirnaty sales drop to $870 million in the recently completed third quarter from $1.16 billion in the same time frame last year. That came after vaccine sales rose the first two quarters of the year.

FILE – The Pfizer logo is displayed at the company’s headquarters, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Wall Street analysts also expect sales of Spikevax shots from Moderna to tumble about 50% in the third quarter, according to the data firm FactSet.

Moderna will report its third-quarter results on Thursday.

“NYCVOTES.org is home to a comprehensive list of all the candidates and proposals that will be on your ballot,” the authors write. “While New Yorkers are voicing their concerns at the ballot box, it is of the utmost importance that they are getting their information from trusted sources.”

A marker directs voters to their poll site on Election Day. (Adi Talwar/City Limits)

Election Day is in full swing in New York City. Candidates are running ads, campaign posters  are outside of every bodega, and once again, your phone is buzzing with texts asking you to  donate, making you wonder: how did they get my number?  

When it feels like you’re hearing about the election every second of every day, it might seem like  there’s nothing new to learn. However, it can be hard to keep the key details straight, like when  and how to vote, what else is on the ballot besides candidates, and what information to trust.

That’s why on Election Day, NYC Votes is partnering with NALEO Educational Fund to make sure New Yorkers have everything they need to make their voices heard at the ballot box.  

Tuesday, New Yorkers have the opportunity to vote for decision makers who will shape the future of our city. Not only are you voting for the next mayor, but New Yorkers will also  weigh in on local races and ballot proposals that influence the development of affordable housing and the timing of our elections.

NYCVOTES.org is home to a comprehensive list of all the candidates and proposals that will be on your ballot. You can even read through summaries of the key arguments for or against the ballot proposals so you can make informed decisions before you head to the polls to cast your vote.  

While New Yorkers are voicing their concerns at the ballot box, it is of the utmost importance that they are getting their information from trusted sources. Spanish-speaking New Yorkers are at a particular risk for the mis/disinformation campaigns spread through social media platforms  with poor content moderation and fact-checking.

For example, advocates have documented  efforts to discredit the integrity and validity of various modes of voting, such as mail or absentee voting. Other documented narratives have sought to convince voters that individuals not legally authorized to vote in the United States have been allowed and encouraged to do so. 

To further address the threat of mis/disinformation, NYC Votes provides a print and online voting guide where we share key information about voting including when and how to vote,  what/who is on the ballot, and why voting matters.

At NYC Votes, we prioritize accessibility in our voter education materials, which is why we translate our voter guide into 13 different languages other than English. We distribute these guides for each city election, sharing nonpartisan information about the candidates and proposals on your ballot. Our organizations are also meeting with community members to make sure that they know their rights at the polls. This includes the right to vote in your language and the right to bring an interpreter to the poll.  

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, which is also the last day to postmark your mail-in ballot. Polling locations for Early Voting and Election Day are usually different, so voters are encouraged to verify the location of their assigned poll site before heading out. For all important dates and deadlines, visit nycvotes.org or call our friends at NALEO Educational Fund at 1-888- 839-8682 and stay informed.  

Make sure your local leaders pay attention to what matters to you and your neighbors and vote in this year’s general city election. Remember, your vote is your voice. 

Jadel Munguia is the assistant press secretary of NYC Votes. Juan Rosa is national director of civic engagement at NALEO Educational Fund.  

The post Opinion: Election Day is Here. Do You Have a Plan to Vote?  appeared first on City Limits.

El Congreso de los Estados Unidos aprobó una asignación presupuestaria de $170.000 millones de dólares para los programas de inmigración y control fronterizo, de los cuales $75.000 millones serán destinados directamente al Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE por sus siglas en inglés).

Un autobús se dirige a un centro de detención del ICE en Chicago, Ill.(Flickr/El Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE.UU.)

Durante el verano, se firmó la ley “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (un gran y bello proyecto de ley), que destinará más dinero al ejército y a la lucha contra los inmigrantes. 

En encuestas previas a la aprobación de la ley, una mayoría de los estadounidenses expresaba su preocupación por los posibles efectos negativos que la implementación de la misma podría tener en el contexto nacional. 

Específicamente, el 54 por ciento de los encuestados anticipaba un impacto desfavorable para el país, mientras que el 51 por ciento preveía un aumento del déficit presupuestario.

El año fiscal federal en los Estados Unidos inició el 1 de octubre, y se prevé que la administración del presidente Donald Trump implemente en su totalidad la agenda en materia de inmigración propuesta.

En julio, con la firma de la ley, el Congreso de los Estados Unidos aprobó una asignación presupuestaria de $170.000 millones de dólares para los programas de inmigración y control fronterizo, de los cuales $75.000 millones serán destinados directamente al Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE por sus siglas en inglés). 

Esta inversión representa la mayor cantidad de dinero que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos ha destinado jamás a la detención y deportación de inmigrantes, situando a ICE como la agencia policial con mayor financiación del gobierno federal.

Excluyendo los Estados Unidos y China, este presupuesto es más de lo que cualquier país del mundo gasta en el ejército en un año.

En cuestión de casi 10 meses, la segunda administración Trump ha consolidado un cambio notable en la política de inmigración de Estados Unidos: endurecimiento de las medidas de control migratorio, menos vías de inmigración humanitaria y legal, y menos admisiones humanitarias. 

Ahora la pregunta es: ¿qué cosas de la agenda y cuáles metas de las que propuso esta administración se van a hacer realidad en el nuevo año fiscal?

Para hacer un balance y abordar esta pregunta, invitamos a Ernesto Castañeda, director del Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos y Latinos de la American University. 

Más detalles en nuestra conversación a continuación.

Ciudad Sin Límites, el proyecto en español de City Limits, y El Diario de Nueva York se han unido para crear el pódcast “El Diario Sin Límites” para hablar sobre latinos y política. Para no perderse ningún episodio de nuestro pódcast “El Diario Sin Límites” síguenos en Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Pódcast y Stitcher. Todos los episodios están allí. ¡Suscríbete!

The post PODCAST: ¿Qué cambios podrían venir en inmigración con el nuevo año fiscal? appeared first on City Limits.

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG, Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised South Korea’s plans to raise its military spending, saying Tuesday that the Asian ally will take a larger role in defending itself from North Korean aggressions as the allies must brace for “regional contingencies.”

In this photo provided by the South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, second from left, and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, center, visit the Observation Post Ouellette near the border village of Panmunjom, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

Modernizing the decades-long alliance between the U.S. and South Korea is a hot issue between the U.S. and South Korea, as the U.S. apparently wants South Korea to increase its conventional defense capabilities so that Washington can focus more on China.

After annual security talks with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul, Hegseth told reporters that he was “greatly encouraged” by Seoul’s commitment to increase defense spending and make greater investments in its own military capabilities. He said the two agreed the investments would bolster South Korea’s ability to lead its conventional deterrence against North Korea.

In a speech at parliament on Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung asked lawmakers to approve an 8.2% increase in defense spending next year, which he said would help modernize the South Korean military’s weapons systems and reduce its reliance on the United States.

Hegseth highlighted defense cooperation on repairing and maintaining U.S. warships in South Korea, saying the activities harness South Korea’s world-class shipbuilding capabilities and “ensure our most lethal capabilities remain ready to respond to any crisis.”

“We face, as we both acknowledge, a dangerous security environment, but our alliance is stronger than ever,” Hegseth said.

‘No daylight or differences’

Hegseth said the South Korea-U.S. alliance is primarily aimed at coping with potential North Korean provocations, but must also keep other regional threats in view.

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“There’s no doubt flexibility for regional contingencies is something we would take a look at, but we are focused on standing by our allies here and ensuring the threat of the DPRK is not a threat to the Republic of Korea and certainly continue to extend nuclear deterrence as we have before,” he said.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — North Korea’s official name — while Republic of Korea is South Korea’s formal name.

In recent years, the U.S. and South Korea have been discussing how to integrate U.S. nuclear weapons and South Korean conventional weapons in various contingencies. South Korea has no nuclear weapons and is under the U.S. “nuclear umbrella” security commitment.

Ahn denied speculation that South Korea could eventually seek its own nuclear weapons program or is pushing for redeployment of U.S. tactical weapon weapons that were removed from South Korea in the 1990s. He stressed that Seoul remains committed to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

“Because we cannot have nuclear weapons, a system integrating U.S. nuclear capabilities and South Korea’s conventional weapons, the CNI (conventional-nuclear integration) framework, has been established,” he said.

Hegseth and Ahn did not issue a joint statement after the meeting, leaving the details of their agreements unclear. It’s unusual for the two countries’ defense ministerial talks to end without an immediate joint statement. But Hegseth said there was “no daylight or differences” between the two countries, only “a bigger deal which takes a little bit more time.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a joint press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, following the 57th Security Consultative Meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, Pool)

During a separate meeting with Hegseth later Tuesday, Lee reiterated his support of an implementation of a previous agreement to transfer wartime operational control of the allied forces to a binational command led by a South Korean general. Currently, the commander of the 28,500 troops in South Korea has wartime operational control of the allied forces, including the South Korean military.

Lee said South Korea taking greater defense responsibilities on the Korean Peninsula would lessen U.S. military burdens in the region, according to Lee’s office. Many South Koreans view regaining their military’s wartime operational control as a matter of national sovereignty.

North Korean artillery tests before Hegseth’s arrival

North Korea didn’t immediately comment on the Hegseth-Ahn meeting.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier on Tuesday that it detected the North test-firing around 10 rounds of artillery toward its western waters on Monday, shortly before Hegseth arrived at an inter-Korean border village with Ahn to kick off his two-day visit to South Korea.

The joint chiefs said the North also fired the same number of rounds Saturday afternoon, before a summit between Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Lee called for a stronger role by Beijing to persuade the North to return to dialogue with Washington and Seoul.

North Korea had expressed irritation over the agenda of the Lee-Xi meeting, ridiculing Seoul for clinging to a “pipe dream” that the North would one day give up its nuclear weapons.