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CDC, FDA, NIH Workers Did Not Report Incidents of Political Interference, ‘Fearing Retaliation’ + More
CDC, FDA, NIH Workers Did Not Report Incidents of Political Interference, ‘Fearing Retaliation,’ Government Watchdog Agency Says
Just because incidents of political interference within the United States’ top health agencies are not reported, does not mean they don’t happen, a new federal report finds.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report Wednesday detailing how four public health agencies that were reviewed — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response — do not have procedures in place that define political interference in scientific decision-making. The report also recommends how such incidents of interference should be reported and addressed.
Yet the GAO report notes that employees at the CDC, FDA and NIH have revealed in interviews and via a confidential hotline that they observed incidences they perceived to be political interference but did not report them for various reasons: being unsure how to report the issue, believing that agency leaders already were aware of the incident and fearing retaliation.
LA County Keeps Mask Mandate at Airports, on Public Transit, Despite Federal Changes
Despite recent changes at the federal level, Los Angeles County is continuing to require travelers to mask up when aboard public transit or in indoor transportation hubs such as airports.
The new health officer order, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, means the nation’s most populous county again has face-covering rules that go beyond those set by the state.
L.A. County’s mask order covers commuter trains, subways, buses, taxis, Ubers and Lyfts; as well as indoor transportation hubs, including bus terminals, subway stations, seaports and other indoor port terminals, according to Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. It applies to everyone ages 2 and older, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.
The order affects Los Angeles International Airport and Hollywood Burbank Airport.
How a Single Judge’s Ruling Upended National COVID Policy
For more than a year, a little-known group called the Health Freedom Defense Fund has been working to roll back vaccine and mask mandates all over the country, often filing lawsuits one community at a time — from a tiny town in Idaho to the Los Angeles Unified School District and beyond.
The group, created last year by a former Wall Street executive turned anti-vaccine activist to advocate for “bodily autonomy,” saw mixed results, with some local officials bending under the pressure and others winning efforts to dismiss lawsuits they viewed as coming from a fringe organization.
Until this week.
The decision Monday by a federal judge in Florida to invalidate the government-imposed mask mandate on public transportation handed the group a major legal victory, instantly upending national policy and setting off a cascade of reactions that reflected the impact on millions of Americans.
Philly Lifts Mask Mandate, Hours After Mayor Jim Kenney Defended It
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported:
Philadelphia’s Board of Health rescinded its indoor mask mandate Thursday night — three days after it went into effect, and hours after Mayor Jim Kenney defended the controversial policy that made his city an outlier in the national COVID-19 response.
The city still strongly recommends masking in indoor public spaces, city spokesperson Kevin Lessard said.
Officials from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health have said from the day the mandate was announced they hoped it would be brief, but they projected it being in place for weeks, not days. The mandate, which required people to wear masks at all indoor public settings, including businesses, offices, and gyms, went into effect Monday.
Louisiana House OKs Bill Aimed at Stopping State and Local Government Vaccine Mandates
A bill that would prohibit state and local governments from issuing vaccine mandates that require proof of vaccination in Louisiana has passed the House. On Wednesday, the bill authored by Representative Thomas Pressly passed the house on a final vote of 64-31. It will now go to the Senate.
If passed the bill would stop the issuing or enforcing proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirements for entry into public or private entities or to receive goods or services of any kind from public or private entities.
The bill would not apply to any COVID-19 vaccination mandate that is required by federal law or regulation. It would also not stop private businesses from implementing vaccination policies, procedures or requirements.
Boston Urges Masks as Battle Brews Over Transit Rule
Boston urged people to start wearing masks Thursday and the Biden administration weighed its next legal step in what is shaping up to be a high-stakes court fight over the abrupt end of the national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit.
The Boston Public Health Commission noted a rise in hospitalizations, as well as a 65% increase in cases and an even larger spike in COVID-19 levels in local wastewater samples. It also stressed that the guidance was merely a recommendation, not an order.
Stricter Pandemic Policies Took Toll on Mental Health — Women Tended to Be More Affected Than Men
People’s mental health suffered when strict COVID-19 control measures were put in place by their governments, according to two new studies.
In one longitudinal analysis drawing on data from 15 countries excluding the U.S., policies with higher stringency were associated with higher mean psychological distress scores during the first 15 months of the pandemic (standardized coefficients β=0.014, 95% CI 0.005-0.023), reported Rafael Goldszmidt, PhD, of the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration in Rio de Janeiro, and colleagues.
People living in areas with stricter containment policies also ranked lower in scores of self-reported life evaluations (β=-0.010, 95% CI -0.015 to -0.004), they noted in Lancet Public Health.
When breaking down the policies individually, certain ones had a greater effect on mental health than others. After controlling for pandemic intensity, restrictions on gatherings, stay-at-home requirements, and international travel restrictions were each tied with greater psychological distress scores and lower life evaluations.
COVID: Quebec Prolongs Mask Mandate to Middle of May Now
Quebec will extend its mask mandate in public spaces again — this time until mid-May — as the province continues to deal with the sixth wave of COVID-19.
Luc Boileau, the province’s interim public health director, announced the decision Thursday to prolong the requirement by another two weeks. Masks will also remain mandatory on public transit.
Locked-Down, Shanghai Residents Skirt Censorship to Vent Online
Over recent weeks, social media posts out of Shanghai have painted a dire picture of life under the Chinese government lockdown. To mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, residents have been trapped at home, while others are stuck in temporary quarantine centers, unsure when they’ll be set free.
Posts, mostly through the Chinese blogging service Weibo and messaging service WeChat, describe loved ones dying after being given improper care and people starving amid food shortages. Though the government has responded with denials about food and medical problems, the outcry has increased pressure on China’s communist party to respond to the allegations its citizens are making.
China possesses one of the most sophisticated censorship programs in the world, but it has been unable to keep the furor contained within its borders. It’s unclear just how people are escaping strict censorship protocols to share videos of life in Shanghai and questions remain about whether China’s censorship regime will eventually stifle dissent.
Twitter’s Reaction to Elon Musk Only Proves Change Is Needed
Twitter bans hate speech — specifically, speech it hates. If Elon Musk is successful in his mission to acquire Twitter — which he will be — he will pull back the curtain. We will finally be privy to the process the company uses to decide which ideas they deem suitable for us to hear.
Musk’s takeover bid is a classic example of the free market at work. He is exercising what essentially amounts to personal antitrust action, taken in the name of free speech.
The reaction from Twitter proves he’s onto something. They are shaken to the core at the idea of having to be more transparent about how they conduct business at what has become the world’s virtual public town square.
Musk’s takeover is doable. Twitter, in spite of its enormous societal impact, is a relatively small company compared to other tech firms. Apple is estimated to be worth $2.7 trillion. Google parent Alphabet is $1.7 trillion. Musk is the richest man in the world. He has a personal net worth several times greater than the $50 billion or so he would probably have to pay for outright ownership of Twitter.
House Republicans Press Twitter Board to Preserve All Records of Elon Musk’s Offers to Buy Company
House Republicans are asking Twitter’s board of directors to preserve all records related to Elon Musk’s offer to buy the company, according to a letter sent Friday.
The request, led by House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and signed by 17 colleagues, raises the possibility of Republicans probing the Twitter board’s decisions regarding the offer if the GOP wins back the majority power in the fall.
“As Congress continues to examine Big Tech and how to best protect Americans’ free speech rights, this letter serves as a formal request that you preserve all records and materials relating to Musk’s offer to purchase Twitter, including Twitter’s consideration and response to this offer, and Twitter’s evaluation of its shareholder interests with respect to Musk’s offer,” they wrote.
The letter adds to Republicans’ unsubstantiated accusations that tech companies, particularly Twitter, are censoring content in a way that demonstrates an anti-conservative bias.
Twitter Is Worried About Free Speech…in Canada
Following proposed legislation in Canada that would give the government greater oversight and control over the content on social media, Twitter has expressed opposition to the bill due to its effect on “freedom of expression.”
In statements provided to the government, Twitter explained its objections to the proposal put forth by Liberals in parliament known as the online harms bill. According to The National Post, “The online harms bill would take aim at online posts in five categories — terrorist content, content that incites violence, hate speech, intimate images shared non-consensually and child sexual exploitation content.”
The social media giant said that the proposed law “sacrifices freedom of expression to the creation of a government-run system of surveillance of anyone who uses Twitter” and warned that flagging and removing posts might be “used as a political tactic.”
2,000 Delta, 1,000 United Passengers Banned for Mask Violations Allowed to Fly Again + More
Up to 2,000 Delta and 1,000 United Passengers Banned for COVID Mask-Wearing Violations Will Be Allowed to Fly With the Airlines Again
Up to 2,000 Delta and 1,000 United passengers who were banned for COVID-19 mask-wearing violations will be permitted to fly with the airlines again. The carriers said Wednesday that these passengers would be removed from their respective no-fly lists on a case-by-case basis.
Delta and United, along with other major U.S. airlines, dropped their mask-wearing requirements on Monday soon after a judge struck down the federal mask mandate. The Department of Justice said Wednesday it would appeal the ruling.
Both airlines warned that banned passengers would need to commit to complying with flight safety rules before being allowed to travel with them again.
Anti-Vaccine Ideology Gains Ground as Lawmakers Seek to Erode Rules for Kids’ Shots
Not long ago, Kansas showed strong bipartisan support for vaccines as a tool to support a robust public health system. But bills with language expanding religious exemptions for childhood vaccine requirements were passed by the state Senate in March and now face the House when the legislature reconvenes on April 25.
They are among the more than 520 vaccine-related bills introduced in statehouses nationwide since Jan. 1, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Of those bills, 66 specifically relate to childhood vaccine requirements in 25 states.
Fewer than 10% of the bills will likely gain any traction, but the volume of attempts to roll back vaccine requirements is alarming, said Rekha Lakshmanan, director of advocacy and public policy at the Immunization Partnership, a vaccine education organization.
All states require specific childhood vaccinations for illnesses such as polio, measles and mumps, but exemptions vary. They all allow exemptions for people with medical concerns, 44 states allow religious exemptions, and 15 allow philosophical exemptions, according to 2021 data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Fauci Says End of Plane Mask Mandate ‘Unfortunate,’ Judge ‘Superseded’ CDC
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to the White House, has criticized a recent Florida court order that overturned the requirement to wear face masks on public transportation.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle on Monday ruled that the face mask mandate for travelers, which had been extended from April 18 to May 3 by the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) earlier this month, was unlawful.
Following her ruling, major U.S. airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines relaxed their face mask rules on domestic flights and some international ones.
Fauci, an infectious diseases expert, expressed disappointment later in the week that the rules were allowed to be relaxed after the mandate and its extension was overruled. He added: “I think it’s unfortunate that a court order came in and, I believe, superseded the authority of the CDC.”
Justice Department Will Appeal Ruling Striking Down Travel Mask Mandate
Officials said that the Department of Justice is filing an appeal aiming to overturn a federal judge’s ruling that struck down the federal mask mandate on public transportation.
A notice of appeal was filed Wednesday in federal court in Tampa, Florida. That came just minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision.
The agency said Wednesday that it is the “CDC’s continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health.” It remained unclear whether the Biden administration would ask the appeals court to grant an emergency stay to reimpose the mandate.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Slams Biden Administration Over Appealing to Reimpose Mask Mandate on Planes: ‘Totally Outrageous’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the Biden administration on Thursday over its plans to appeal a judge’s ruling that struck down mask mandates on airplanes and other public transit.
“There should be no mandates, period. None,” DeSantis said at an event in Destin, Florida.
Florida was among several states that sued the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over its mask mandate on public transit.
“It will be totally outrageous if they appeal this decision,” he said. “Part of the reason they are doing it is because they like to exercise power over the people they govern.”
United CEO Says It’s ‘Very Unlikely’ Travel Mask Mandate Will Return
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby on Thursday said it is “very unlikely” that the Biden administration’s mask mandate for airplanes will return.
On Thursday, Kirby told NBC News in an interview that the United States was “on the road, I think, to removing the mask [mandate] even before the judge’s ruling.”
The Justice Department’s appeal “is mostly about jurisdiction,” he said, adding: “I think it’s very unlikely that a mask requirement is going to come back any time in the foreseeable future.”
United Airlines on Monday initially said it would keep enforcing the mask mandate until it received more clarity on the judge’s ruling. Later that day, however, the airline said it would no longer enforce the mandate for domestic flights.
Workers Could Sue Over Vaccine Mandates Under Missouri Bill
Workers required to get vaccinations for their jobs could sue if they have negative reactions under a Missouri bill advanced in the state House on Wednesday. The Republican-led House voted 92-44 to give the measure initial approval. It needs another vote to move to the GOP-led Senate.
The measure would apply to any employer-required vaccines, although bill sponsor Rep. Mitch Boggs, R-LaRussell, cited recent COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Under the measure, employers who make their workers get a vaccine could be held liable if workers experience negative side effects.
Proponents argued that bosses should be held accountable for medical complications if they make workers get vaccinated. Critics argued that private business owners should be allowed to decide whether to mandate vaccinations without the threat of lawsuits.
Chelsea Green Publishing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Lay out Cases in COVID Book Lawsuit
Attorneys quarreled on Wednesday over whether a 1963 Supreme Court case involving Rhode Island booksellers had any relevance to a White River Junction book publisher’s lawsuit against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
The hearing in Washington Western District Court in Seattle was the first in Chelsea Green Publishing’s lawsuit against the senator, alleging she violated the First Amendment by stifling free speech when she wrote a public letter to Amazon condemning the bookseller’s sale of the Chelsea Green book, The Truth About COVID-19.
The plaintiffs include Chelsea Green; Joseph Mercola, the book’s author; co-author Ronald Cummins; and anti-vaccine figurehead Robert Kennedy Jr., who wrote a forward for the book.
They are seeking unspecified damages in the wake of Warren’s September 2021 letter, which they say caused Barnes & Noble to stop selling the book, among other effects.
Illinois Appellate Court Reinstates CPS Requirement That Employees Must Show Proof of COVID Vaccination or Test Weekly
An Illinois appellate court on Wednesday sided with Chicago Public Schools in vacating a temporary restraining order that prevented the district from taking employment action against six CPS teachers for refusing to submit proof of vaccination or undergo weekly tests for COVID-19.
The ruling restores the district’s ability to enforce the requirement while a lawsuit challenging the practice continues in a downstate courtroom.
U.S. Extends COVID Vaccine Requirements for Non-Citizens at Land Borders
The Biden administration on Thursday said it was extending a requirement that non-U.S. citizens crossing land or ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders must be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Unlike international air travelers headed to the United States, people traveling at land or ferry crossings do not need to provide a negative COVID-19 test.
Foreign air travelers must present proof of vaccination to airlines before traveling to the United States as well as a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day. Foreign nationals crossing U.S. land border crossings must be prepared to provide proof of vaccination.
Joe Rogan Slams Current Liberals Who Now ‘Want Censorship,’ ‘People That Are Intolerant to Other People’s Ideas’ and More
Joe Rogan said that what it means to be a liberal has changed, arguing that the term had come to be all about “people that want censorship,” “people that are intolerant of other people’s ideas,” and more.
During “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast on Tuesday, Rogan spoke to his guest MMA fighter Jake Shields, and Rogan definitely sounded like he was unsure exactly what group he belonged in anymore because he said he had identified his whole life as a liberal. He explained that being liberal now means thinking it’s “fine to insult people and to be like really aggressive” to them.
“My parents were hippies,” Rogan explained. “It’s like there’s a difference between what liberal meant then and what it includes now. It includes now people that want military action. It includes now people that want censorship.”
Elon Musk Says He’s Secured $46.5 Billion in Financing to Buy Twitter
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a filing Thursday he has secured $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter — mostly with borrowed money.
The filing shows a group of banks led by Morgan Stanley is prepared to lend Musk $25.5 billion, including a separate $12.5 billion loan pledged to the value of Musk’s Tesla shares.
Musk in turn would provide $21 billion in equity financing.
He is currently Twitter’s largest individual shareholder, owning a 9 percent stake in the company. After Musk made an offer this month to purchase Twitter for $43 billion, the social media company adopted a “poison pill” provision designed to prevent him from completing a hostile takeover of the company.
Google to Update Cookie Consent Banner in Europe Following Fine
Google has shared a screenshot of its new cookie consent popup. At first, the new popup will be available on YouTube in France. But the company says it plans to roll out the new design across Google services in Europe.
This updated design comes a few months after the CNIL, France’s data watchdog, fined Google €150 million ($163 million at today’s exchange rate) for breaching French law.
According to the French authority, Google failed to comply with current regulations when it comes to presenting tracking choices to users — what people usually call the “cookie banner” or “cookie popup.”
With the new design, there are now three buttons. In addition to the existing buttons, there’s a new “Deny All” button that lets you opt-out of tracking altogether in a single click. The two main buttons are the same color, size and shape.
Why Are Preschoolers Subject to the Strictest COVID Rules in New York City? + More
Why Are Preschoolers Subject to the Strictest COVID Rules in New York City?
One morning last week, I was walking my son to pre-kindergarten when we spotted one of his friends strolling toward us with his parents — ominously, away from school. A classmate had tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with city protocols, the entire class was sent home to quarantine for at least five days.
Most parents remember these claustrophobic cycles from the first, locked-down spring of the pandemic. But most of them have long since moved on.
It was starting to feel like children under the age of five in New York City were the last people subject to strict pandemic mandates. On the day my son was sent home, at the Barclays Center (capacity: about seventeen thousand), the unvaccinated basketball player Kyrie Irving played his seventh home game since Mayor Eric Adams excused athletes and performers from the city’s vaccine mandate.
The era of COVID vigilance is over, it seems — that is, unless you are medically vulnerable or too young for kindergarten. In the New York City public-school system, only pre-K and 3-K students are still subject to “close-contact” restrictions: if they are exposed to COVID at school, they must quarantine even if they produce a negative test result. They are also the only remaining students who must wear masks in school — the mask mandate for older children ended on March 7.
Fate of Travel Mask Mandate in Limbo as CDC Decides Whether to Appeal
The Department of Justice late Tuesday announced that it disagrees with a Florida judge’s ruling that abruptly nixed the federal travel mask mandate. However, the department said it would not immediately seek an appeal or a stay that would keep the mandate in place while litigation continued.
Instead, the DOJ said that it is now up to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine if the mask mandate “remains necessary for the public’s health.” If the CDC determines that it is necessary, the DOJ will appeal the decision.
The CDC is reportedly undecided on the matter. On April 13, just before the mask mandate was set to expire, the CDC extended it for 15 days so it could assess the state of the pandemic and decide if the mandate was still necessary.
Federal Workers Can’t Sue Over Biden’s Vaccine Mandate, Appeals Court Says
Federal workers who want to challenge President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate should turn to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), an agency created to protect the rights of federal employees, rather than going through the courts, a Virginia appeals court said.
In a unanimous decision, a 4th Circuit Court of Appeals three-judge panel ordered a lower court to dismiss a case lodged by Department of Defense employee Israel Rydie and Food and Drug Administration employee Elizabeth Fleming claiming that the vaccine mandate is unconstitutional.
The 1978 Civil Service Reform Act allows federal employees who have been disciplined to appeal to the MSPB, and strips courts of the jurisdiction to hear such cases, including Rydie and Fleming’s case, the panel said.
Milwaukee Schools Reinstate Mask Mandate Just One Day After It Was Dropped
Just one day after mask-wearing was made optional in Milwaukee Public Schools, the district announced it will return to mandating masks as cases of COVID-19 in the city rise.
MPS initially announced March 24 that masks would become optional in its schools beginning April 18. But on Tuesday, a day after the new policy took effect, MPS informed families masks would again be mandatory, saying the decision was made “after determining a significant transmission of the virus within the city of Milwaukee.”
Philadelphia Keeps Indoor Mask Mandate in Place Despite Florida Judge Ruling Against CDC
Philadelphia health officials are keeping the city’s newly reinstated indoor mask mandate in place despite a federal judge’s ruling in Florida that struck down a federal requirement to wear face coverings on public transportation.
The city of brotherly love became the first major city in the U.S. on Monday to reinstate its COVID-19 mask mandate for indoor activities as the highly contagious Omicron BA.2 subvariant drives new COVID cases higher across the U.S.
“We are evaluating the implications of this latest ruling and will provide further clarity around masking on transit in Philadelphia when available. This ruling does not impact the city’s mask mandate for certain indoor places.” James Garrow, director of communications at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, said in an email to CNBC.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker Lifts State Transportation Mask Requirement After a Day of Shifting Mask Rules
Chicago travelers were left to navigate a patchwork of changing mask rules Tuesday after a federal judge voided a national mandate for planes, trains and buses and Gov. J.B. Pritzker revised Illinois requirements midday.
The day started with passengers required to wear masks on just some trains, and during only some parts of air travel. The Chicago Department of Aviation, which oversees Midway and O’Hare International airports, started the day saying it would still enforce mask rules, while major airlines had already largely dropped their requirements. Morning commuters on CTA and Metra needed to wear masks, but not riders on Amtrak or the South Shore commuter line to northern Indiana. Masks were optional in Ubers and Lyfts.
By the evening commute, the rules had changed.
Where You Still Need to Wear COVID Face Masks — and Where You Don’t Anymore
With no more federal COVID mask mandate on airplanes and other forms of public transportation, you might be wondering: Where in the U.S. am I still required to wear a face covering?
Most major U.S. airlines, along with Amtrack and ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft, quickly moved to make face coverings optional — though often still encouraged, per the CDC’s latest guidelines — for most people using their services. Some transit agencies have already dropped their mask requirements, too.
Others aren’t budging, joining a smattering of cities and states across the country maintaining mask mandates in places like restaurants, sporting arenas and public schools. Here are some of the country’s most notable places where you still have to wear a face covering — at least, for now.
Disney World Lifts Last Mask Requirement
The last of the mask requirements have been lifted at Walt Disney World. Face coverings will be optional for visitors at all locations on the central Florida Disney property.
The rule change was posted Tuesday, according to the Disney website. Disney still recommends masks for guests who are not fully vaccinated in indoor locations and enclosed transportation, although they are no longer required.
Shanghai Allows 4 Million out of Homes as Virus Rules Ease
Shanghai allowed 4 million more people out of their homes Wednesday as anti-virus controls that shut down China’s biggest city eased, while the International Monetary Fund cut its forecast of Chinese economic growth and warned the global flow of industrial goods might be disrupted.
A total of almost 12 million people in the city of 25 million are allowed to go outdoors following the first round of easing last week, health official Wu Ganyu said at a news conference. Wu said the virus was “under effective control” for the first time in some parts of the city.
Under the latest changes, more than 4 million people are included in areas where the status shifted from closed to controlled, said Wu. He said some are not allowed to leave their neighborhoods and large gatherings are prohibited.
DuckDuckGo’s Browsers and Extensions Now Protect Against AMP Tracking
Privacy-oriented search engine DuckDuckGo says it will “protect” against tracking by web pages with Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages framework (or AMP) enabled. “When you load or share a Google AMP page anywhere from DuckDuckGo apps (iOS/Android/Mac) or extensions (Firefox/Chrome), the original publisher’s webpage will be used in place of the Google AMP version,” the company said on Twitter. The technology allows Google to track users, DuckDuckGo notes, and forces publishers to use AMP by prioritizing those links in its search results.
AMP was originally introduced — or so Google said — as a way to make mobile web pages load faster. But developers and others eyed AMP with suspicion, and some took issue with how Google prioritized AMP pages in search results. Improvements to mobile websites since AMP’s introduction have made it somewhat less useful to publishers in recent years, and many (including The Verge parent company Vox Media) don’t use the framework at all.
‘Toxic and Obsessive’: Young People Bailing on Social Media
There was a time when Facebook was for old people, Instagram and TikTok were for young people and Twitter was for, well, boring people.
But more and more young people are deciding that all of social media is a huge time suck, pointless — perhaps even detrimental — and bailing altogether.
“Zoomers are known for being glued to their phones, but some twenty-somethings are taking a stand against all-consuming apps such as TikTok and Instagram,” the New York Post reported. “Calling them ‘toxic’ and ‘obsessive,’ these young people say they’re regaining control of their time by stepping away from the scroll.”
Austin Whole Foods Unveils Pay-by-Palm Service for Grocery Shoppers
Whole Foods shoppers in Austin, Texas, can now buy their groceries with nothing more than a swipe of the palm. The new Amazon One device is connected to a customer’s credit or debit card and can scan their unique palm signature in about a second.
The palm-reading service has raised privacy concerns among some officials. Last year, Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., sent a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy about the company’s biometric data collection practices.
“Amazon’s expansion of biometric data collection through Amazon One raises serious questions about Amazon’s plans for this data and its respect for user privacy, including about how Amazon may use the data for advertising and tracking purposes,” the senators wrote.
New York Subway Still Requiring Masks, DC Metro Makes Them Optional + More
New York Subway Still Requiring Masks, DC Metro Makes Them Optional
New York City’s subway system is still requiring masks for passengers in the wake of a federal judge’s decision to halt the federal mandate on public transportation while the Metro in Washington, DC, made them optional.
“Masks continue to be required on NY public transit for now pursuant to NYS Health Dept determination,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) spokesman Tim Mitton tweeted late Monday, linking to a March 2, 2022 determination by the New York State Department of Health.
The judge said she ruled against the mandate because the CDC went past its authority, did not follow the rulemaking process and did not provide a good enough reason for continuing the mandate.
DeSantis Calls for Special Session That Will Address Threat of Big Tech Censorship
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation on Tuesday calling for a special session that will include addressing its 2021 law held up in court that would protect citizens from censorship from social media platforms.
Near the end of his speech, the governor addressed the importance of moving forward with the current legal challenges to Florida’s law against big tech censorship.
“Some of the things we did in that bill was not allow big tech companies to ban candidates for office because you really could have a situation where someone down the stretch, you have all these Senate races or something, and what are they going to do? They’re going to de-platform all the Republican nominees to be able to help their party?” the governor said.
DeSantis also noted that the law “gave individual Floridians the opportunity to use Florida’s unfair and deceptive trade practices act to sue big tech if they are censored or deplatformed.”
Delta Air Lines Edits Mask Mandate Statement After Calling COVID ‘Ordinary Seasonal Virus’
Delta Air Lines edited its statement announcing the end of the federal mask mandate to call COVID-19 a “more manageable respiratory virus” on Tuesday.
Delta’s original statement had stated that COVID-19 “has transitioned to an ordinary seasonal virus.” Delta and a slew of other airlines announced masking was now optional on flights after a federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration’s national mask mandate covering airplanes, airports and public transportation.
“We are relieved to see the U.S. mask mandate lift to facilitate global travel as COVID-19 has transitioned to an ordinary seasonal virus,” Delta’s original statement read. “Thank you for your support in complying with the federal mask mandate and keeping each other, and our customers, safe during the pandemic.”
These Airlines Are Making Masks Optional After Mandate Struck Down
After a federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration’s mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods, airlines are starting to act.
Several U.S. airlines announced Monday that masks are now optional on their aircraft — Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue.
Meanwhile on the ground, Amtrak said it will no longer require face masks for passengers and employees.
White House Urges Travelers to Keep Wearing Masks After ‘Disappointing’ Ruling
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday the Biden administration still recommends that individuals wear masks on public transit after a judge struck down the federal mask mandate for travel on planes, trains and buses.
Psaki told reporters during the daily briefing that administration officials are “still reviewing” the ruling from a federal judge in Florida, which she called “disappointing.” The press secretary left the door open to the administration appealing the ruling.
Supreme Court Rules Against Air Force Officer Who Refused COVID Vaccine
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Pentagon can take disciplinary action against a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve who refused to follow the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate due to religious objections.
Jonathan Dunn had said he sought emergency relief to protect himself from “further punishment, including a discharge.” He was removed from his command after he refused the vaccine, believing it violates his faith.
The unsigned order did not provide the court’s reasoning but noted that Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented with the decision to deny the application for an injunction.
Hochul Needs to Back up Her Words on COVID Shutdowns
Gov. Kathy Hochul swears, “I’m not going to shut down [New York state] again, you can count on that” — even as COVID cases here begin another inevitable rise. Good to hear. Too bad Hochul’s struggled so hard to get to that conclusion.
She was way overdue on lifting ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s useless business and school-mask mandates — and never finished the job. For example, any individual school in the state can still demand masks if the COVID anxieties of its administrators get out of control. So while she’s promising no shutdowns, she hasn’t made any real commitment to that beyond the rhetorical.
Nor admitted that New York’s restrictionist responses to COVID wrought utter disaster, pushing us to lead the nation in out-migration. They wrecked the state’s economy. We’re still massively lagging the rest of the nation in recovery, with a 4.9% unemployment rate vs. the national 3.6%. We’re still missing hundreds of thousands of pre-pandemic jobs.
New Mexico State University Ending Option of COVID Testing; Vaccination Required
New Mexico State University will require all students on campus to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 1, ending the option of submitting weekly tests as an alternative, the university announced Monday.
Chancellor Dan Arvizu also said in a memo to students, faculty and staff that NMSU no longer will require weekly testing for students and employees who decided against getting a booster or received an exemption from vaccination.
The new policy, which also applies at all branch colleges, reflects a similar change in October for staff. It requires new and/or transfer students to provide their COVID-19 vaccination records or an approved exemption by Aug. 1.
Arvizu cited the time-consuming nature of the test-monitoring process and uncertainty about the future availability of free tests as reasons for dropping the weekly testing requirement, which will end May 5.
Uber Ends Mask Requirements, Says Anyone Uncomfortable Can Cancel Trip
Uber has scrapped its requirement for passengers to wear face masks during their journeys in the United States with a major update to its pandemic safety rules.
The company made the announcement on its website on Tuesday, saying: “As of April 19, 2022, riders and drivers are not required to wear masks when using Uber. However, the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] still recommends wearing a mask if you have certain personal risk factors and/or high transmission levels in your area.
“Remember: many people still feel safer wearing a mask because of personal or family health situations, so please be respectful of their preferences. And if you ever feel uncomfortable, you can always cancel the trip.”
Why Red Sox’s Tanner Houck Can’t Pitch at Blue Jays? Canada’s COVID Vaccine Policy, Explained
The Boston Red Sox will be without one of their early season stars when they travel to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays this week. The reason why: Canada’s vaccination policy.
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck will be unavailable for Boston’s series against Toronto, according to manager Alex Cora. Houck told the Boston Globe he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19 before the Red Sox’s 8-1 win over the Twins on Sunday.“I think it’s a personal choice for everyone whether they get it or not,” Houck said.
Cora said more Boston players will be unavailable due to Canada’s vaccine mandate. Those players will placed on the MLB’s restricted list. According to ESPN, players sidelined due to an unwillingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine are not paid during their time off and do not accrue service time.
Shanghai Prepares to Ease COVID Lockdown as Factories Reopen
Shanghai is preparing to ease its lockdown over the city’s 25 million people with authorities hoping COVID transmissions will mostly be limited to quarantine facilities.
Factories are returning to production in closed-loop systems, with Tesla staff reportedly told to sleep on site.
Amid China’s worst outbreak since Wuhan at the start of the pandemic, Shanghai continues to report tens of thousands of cases a day, with the majority among people in quarantine or isolation. On Monday, Reuters reported officials had set a target of reaching “zero-COVID at the community level” by Wednesday.
Your iOS App May Still Be Covertly Tracking You, Despite What Apple Says
Last year, Apple enacted App Tracking Transparency, a mandatory policy that forbids app makers from tracking user activity across other apps without first receiving those users’ explicit permission. Privacy advocates praised the initiative, and Facebook warned it would spell certain doom for companies that rely on targeted advertising. However, research published last week suggests that ATT, as it’s usually abbreviated, doesn’t always curb the surreptitious collection of personal data or the fingerprinting of users.
At the heart of ATT is the requirement that users must click an “allow” button that appears when an app is installed.
Last week’s research paper said that while ATT in many ways works as intended, loopholes in the framework also provided the opportunity for companies, particularly large ones like Google and Facebook, to work around the protections and stockpile even more data. The paper also warned that despite Apple’s promise for more transparency, ATT might give many users a false sense of security.
Elon Musk Is Correct — Big Tech Platforms Are Digital Public Squares
Elon Musk’s announced intent to “buy” Twitter has provoked some mixed reactions. Some celebrate it as an opportunity to reshape the social media site into a more politically balanced platform. Others take the opposite view, seeing it as Elon trying to turn democracy on its head. But both perspectives seem to miss the billionaire’s point — Big Tech companies, like Twitter or Facebook, are now, as Musk puts it, our “de facto town square,” and they have not been living up to their obligations. Unfortunately, he’s right on both counts.
Public squares play a very special role in our society. They are a cradle for free expression where we, the public, can express approval or dissent, campaign or simply convene with friends with little interference. On Big Tech platforms these features are frequently missing, given the companies’ penchant to “moderate” political content they don’t like. They send more conservative campaign emails to spam folders than liberal ones, remove conservative-leaning apps from app stores, shut down the New York Post’s account for reporting on Hunter Biden and more.