Here are things to know for Monday, September 20:
1. Body found in Wyoming believed to be Gabrielle Petito, authorities say
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Authorities say a body discovered Sunday in Wyoming is believed to be Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito, who disappeared while on a cross-country trek with a boyfriend who has been identified by authorities as a person of interest and is now being sought within a Florida nature preserve.
The FBI said the body was found by law enforcement agents who had spent the past two days searching campgrounds.
The cause of death has not yet been determined, said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Charles Jones.
“Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100% that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified,” Jones said. “This is an incredibly difficult time for (Petito’s) family and friends.”
An attorney who has been acting as a spokesman for Petito’s family asked in a statement that the family be given room to grieve.
2. 2 officers shot in northeast Houston while serving warrant, authorities say
Two officers have been shot in an incident in northeast Houston.
The incident happened around 7:30 a.m. at the Timber Ridge Apartments on Aeropark Drive near Crosswinds Drive, authorities said.
Images from Sky 2 showed Life Flight at the scene of the shooting. One of the officers was seen being unloaded from Life Flight and taken into Memorial Hermann hospital. The other officer was transported to a hospital via ambulance. The officers’ conditions are not known.
3. US launches mass expulsion of Haitian migrants from Texas
The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico in a massive show of force that signals the beginning of what could be one of America’s swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades.
More than 320 migrants arrived in Port-au-Prince on three flights Sunday, and Haiti said six flights were expected Tuesday. In all, U.S. authorities moved to expel many of the more 12,000 migrants camped around a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after crossing from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico.
The U.S. plans to begin seven expulsion flights daily on Wednesday, four to Port-au-Prince and three to Cap-Haitien, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Flights will continue to depart from San Antonio but authorities may add El Paso, the official said.
4. Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11
Pfizer said Monday its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.
The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older. But with kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger children.
For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose — a third of the amount that’s in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting the regular-strength shots, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press.
The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects — such as sore arms, fever or achiness — that teens experience, he said.
5. David Culley on Deshaun Watson playing this Thursday: ‘We’ll have to see’
Texans head coach David Culley isn’t giving too much away.
The Texans have a quick turnaround after their 31-21 loss to the Browns, hosting the Panthers at NRG Stadium this Thursday in a game that will be seen on KPRC 2. Starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor went down in the first half of Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, prompting rookie Davis Mills to finish the game.
After the loss, media members asked Culley about the possibility of Deshaun Watson playing on Thursday, to which Culley replied “we’ll have to see.”