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19 States Sue Biden Administration Over COVID Vaccine Rule + More
19 States Sue Biden Administration Over COVID Vaccine Rule
Eighteen states filed three separate lawsuits Friday to stop President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, arguing that the requirement violates federal law.
Attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming signed on to one lawsuit, which was filed in a federal district court in Missouri. Another group of states including Georgia, Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Georgia.
Texas also sued individually on Friday.
9,000 New York Public Workers Put on Unpaid Leave for Refusing COVID Vaccine
About 9,000 New York City municipal workers were put on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that took effect on Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, adding that thousands of firefighters had called out sick in apparent protest.
Firehouses remained open but 18 of 350 units were out of service and “many units are understaffed,” Daniel Nigro, the fire commissioner, said.
Officials have been battling fierce resistance among a minority of workers in some critical public safety jobs, including police officers and firefighters, with a pending legal challenge to the mandate from the largest police union.
As of Sunday, one in four uniformed New York firefighters had not had a first dose of the vaccine, as required. About one in six police personnel and one in six sanitation workers were still unvaccinated.
Supreme Court Rejects Religious Exemptions for Vaccine Mandates in 6-3 Maine Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday decided it would not step in to block a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare workers in Maine, which does not offer religious exemptions.
Most U.S. states with vaccine requirements for healthcare workers do provide opportunities for religious exemptions, a point some healthcare workers who legally contested the requirement raised in their emergency request for the Supreme Court to step in ahead of the state’s vaccination deadline.
Cook County Judge Rules in Favor of FOP, Grants Temporary Restraining Order in Aid of Arbitration
A Cook County judge ruled in favor of a Chicago police union request for an emergency order to halt the city’s vaccine mandate policy.
The FOP wants officers put on no-pay status to return to work while the union and city negotiate the issue at the bargaining table.
On Friday, a federal judge denied a temporary restraining order to block enforcement of the mandate requested by more than one hundred city workers, many of them Chicago firefighters. The City Council voted 30 to 13 in opposition to repealing the mandate.
Washington State Quietly Launches COVID Vaccine Verification Tool
Washington state this week quietly launched a new online tool that shows proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, taking a step toward improving its verification systems as it prepares to require full vaccination or a recent negative test at all large indoor and outdoor venues on Nov. 15.
The tool, WA Verify, is fairly straightforward: Fill out your name, date of birth, contact information and a four-digit PIN number (needed to securely access digital records, the website says), and the system will text you a link to get a scannable QR code and digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccination records.
‘Yeah, We’re Spooked’: AI Starting to Have Big Real-World Impact, Says Expert
A scientist who wrote a leading textbook on artificial intelligence (AI) has said experts are “spooked” by their own success in the field, comparing the advance of AI to the development of the atom bomb.
Prof Stuart Russell, the founder of the Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence at the University of California, Berkeley, said most experts believed that machines more intelligent than humans would be developed this century, and he called for international treaties to regulate the development of the technology.
Sheriff Warns Vaccine Mandate Causing ‘Mass Exodus’ Among Personnel
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva continues to rail against the county’s vaccine mandate, warning it is causing a “mass exodus” in his department and threatens public safety at a time when violent crime is on the rise.
“I have repeatedly stated the dangers to public safety when 20% to 30% of my workforce is no longer available to provide service, and those dangers are quickly becoming a reality,” Villanueva said in a statement that he posted on social media last week.
“We are experiencing an increase in unscheduled retirements, worker compensation claims, employees quitting, and a reduction in qualified applicants.”
U.S. Prisons Face Staff Shortages as Officers Quit Amid COVID
Staff shortages have long been a challenge for prison agencies, given the low pay and grueling nature of the work. But the coronavirus pandemic — and its impact on the labor market — has pushed many corrections systems into crisis.
Officers are retiring and quitting in droves, while officials struggle to recruit new employees. And some prisons whose populations dropped during the pandemic have seen their numbers rise again, exacerbating the problem.
Military Weighs Penalties for Those Who Refuse COVID Vaccine
As deadlines loom for military and defense civilians to get mandated COVID-19 vaccines, senior leaders must now wrestle with the fate of those who flatly refuse the shots or are seeking exemptions, and how to make sure they are treated fairly and equally.
The vast majority of the active-duty force has received at least one shot, but tens of thousands have not. For some it may be a career-ending decision. Others could face transfers, travel restrictions, limits on deployments and requirements to repay bonuses.
Exemption decisions for medical, religious and administrative reasons will be made by unit commanders around the world, on what the Pentagon says will be a “case-by-case” basis.
Texas AG Ken Paxton Sues Biden Administration Over Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors
The Dallas Morning News reported:
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Friday against the Biden administration over an executive order that mandates vaccines for federal contractors, condemning the directive as “a dramatic infringement upon individual liberties, principles of federalism and separation of powers, and the rule of law.”
The lawsuit seeks to stop enforcement of the mandate, which Biden announced in September. Under the order, companies that contract with the federal government must require their employees to get vaccinated by Dec. 8.
Pushback Against Biden’s IRS Bank Reporting Mandate to Continue Even if Defeated
President Joe Biden’s proposal to empower the IRS to snoop on nearly every American bank account by requiring banks and credit unions to automatically provide the agency with information on account inflows and outflows, appears as though it may be dead, or at least on life support.
That’s because the latest framework for the Build Back Better bill has jettisoned the IRS reporting requirement, which triggered high-profile and bipartisan backlash.
COVID Vaccine Mandate Approaches With Pushback From Federal Border Authorities
On Nov. 22, all federal employees, including the men and women who protect the border, must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus under an executive order in President Joe Biden’s “Path Out of the Pandemic” COVID-19 Action Plan.
The executive order has come under fire, with lawmakers publicly opposing the mandate on behalf of agents from the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.
An ‘Eraser Button’? Focused Ideas Could Help Bridle Big Tech
Break up Big Tech? How about shrinking the tech companies’ shield against liability in cases where the content they push to users causes harm? Or creating a new regulator to strictly oversee the industry?
So lawmakers are getting creative as they introduce a slew of bills intended to take Big Tech down a peg. One bill proposes an “eraser button” that would let parents instantly delete all personal information collected from their children or teens.
Another proposal bans specific features for kids under 16, such as video auto-play, push alerts, “like” buttons and follower counts.
Pentagon May Not Immediately Fire Vaccine Resisters
Pentagon May Not Immediately Fire Vaccine Resisters
Facing criticism that mandates for coronavirus vaccinations could force the Defense Department to fire thousands of civilians, contractors and troops, the Biden administration is signaling that vaccine resisters may get more time to comply.
President Joe Biden and administration officials have previously said Pentagon employees and contractors have to be vaccinated or face termination on a series of upcoming deadlines. This has led to fears that thousands of people responsible for national defense may soon be forced out of their jobs. Virtually every day, Republican lawmakers decry what they describe as a national security crisis in the offing.
Wave of Dismissals Next? Thousands of USAF Troops Reject Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
International Business Times reported:
Thousands of U.S. Air Force employees have refused to comply with a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. troops, raising concerns about the employee shortage that could result from the wave of refusals.
So far, up to 12,000 airmen have refused full vaccination. There has been apparent pushback from U.S. troops since the order was issued by the Pentagon in August. There is also a growing concern over the possibility of worker loss in defense firms due to the mandate.
‘Striketober’: Mass Resistance to Vaccination Is Carefully Hidden From View by Organized Labor Union Strikes
It is perhaps a sign of the waning influence of the mainstream media that even though they have been incessantly pumping the concept of “Striketober” for the past month, the majority of Americans rarely mention it.
The source of worker shortages, supply chain bottlenecks and a lot of our stagflationary issues can be traced directly back to the government’s COVID restrictions and the COVID welfare programs. Get rid of the restrictions, the mandates and the COVID checks and over time the crisis will disappear. It really is that simple. However, the establishment does not want you to see it that way.
NYC Braces for Fewer Cops, More Trash as Vax Deadline Looms
Mounting trash. Closed firehouses. Fewer police and ambulances on the street.
That’s the possibility New York City is bracing for come Monday as a COVID-19 vaccine mandate looms and thousands of municipal workers remain unwilling to get the shots.
Police officers, firefighters, garbage collectors and most other city workers face a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to show proof they’ve gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Workers who don’t comply will be put on unpaid leave starting Monday.
6 Teachers, 1 Counselor Fired From Granada Hills Charter High School for Refusing to Get Vaccinated
Seven employees at Granada Hills Charter High School have been fired from their jobs after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The counselor and six teachers who were terminated said they plan on filing a lawsuit against the school and its governing board.
“We were given the impossible option of choosing between our deeply held beliefs or our livelihoods,” Dr. Angela Karapetyan, a math teacher, said in a statement. “Now we’re fighting for our right to preserve both. We are willing to accept any reasonable accommodations including daily testing and wearing masks to protect our students, while also trying to protect our own family’s well-being.”
State Cracking Down on Nursing Homes for Failing to Enforce COVID Vaccine Mandates
Connecticut is cracking down on dozens of nursing homes for failing to enforce vaccine mandates.
The state Department of Public Health (DPH) has hit nursing homes and long-term care facilities with fines.
Some of the fines the organizations face going forward were significant. However, the big question has been whether or not the DPH will actually get more facilities to enforce the mandates. It called the issue a major problem.
Biden Vaccine Rule Will Let Employers Make Workers Pay for Tests
Bloomberg Law via MSN reported:
The Biden administration’s highly anticipated vaccine mandate rule for private-sector employers will allow businesses to force workers who refuse to get the COVID-19 shot to pay for required weekly tests and masks, two sources familiar with the matter said.
The emergency rule, which will apply to companies with at least 100 employees and is expected to be released next week, will give employers the option of paying for testing and masks for unvaccinated workers or compelling those employees to foot the bill themselves, according to the sources, who requested anonymity because they didn’t have approval to discuss the rulemaking.
Unvaccinated workers will be required to wear masks while indoors and in close contact with coworkers, the sources said.
Citigroup to Require U.S. Employees Be Vaccinated Against COVID
Citigroup will require all of its U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, the nation’s third-biggest bank said Thursday.
Although other major financial institutions are requiring the shots for new hires or workers returning to the office, Citi is the first major lender to make inoculation against the coronavirus a condition of employment.
Citi is requesting that its roughly 65,000 workers in the U.S. submit proof of vaccination by Dec. 8, with a $200 bonus offered to those who do, the company said.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson Issues Executive Order Against Biden Vaccine Mandates
St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported:
Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday issued an executive order targeting federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates, but some observers were quick to assert that the order would have little effect in Missouri.
The executive order directs state offices within the executive branch to “cooperate fully and timely” with any legal actions Attorney General Eric Schmitt takes against such mandates coming from President Joe Biden’s administration.
Ruling: Can’t Fire Unvaccinated While Mandate Is Challenged
Louisiana’s largest health system cannot fire or otherwise discipline north Louisiana employees who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 while the mandate’s legality is in court, a state appeals court says.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport ruled Thursday, just a day before Ochsner Health’s Friday deadline for its 32,000 employees across Louisiana and in a small part of Mississippi to be fully vaccinated or face dismissal.
Iowans Fired for Defying COVID Vaccine Mandates Would Get Unemployment Benefits Under Bill Passed Thursday
Iowans could have wider latitude to claim medical and religious exemptions from employer COVID-19 vaccination mandates — and would qualify for unemployment benefits if a business fires them for not complying — under a bill state lawmakers approved Thursday.
The bill, which immediately drew criticism both from business representatives and from opponents of vaccine mandates, would mark a significant change in the way Iowa approaches vaccination requirements by employers if Gov. Kim Reynolds signs it into law.
Maine Begins Enforcing Health Worker Vaccine Requirement
The deadline for Maine to begin enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare workers arrived on Friday.
Northern Light Health announced that unvaccinated workers would no longer be working at its 10 hospitals as of Saturday. In Lewiston, Central Maine Medical Center is already in compliance, meaning unvaccinated staff members aren’t allowed to work.
MaineHealth, the state’s largest healthcare provider, said Friday was the last day for workers to submit paperwork showing compliance with the requirement. Those who do not comply will be terminated.
72% Of Unvaccinated Workers Vow to Quit if Ordered to Get Vaccinated + More
72% Of Unvaccinated Workers Vow to Quit if Ordered to Get Vaccinated
A large number of unvaccinated workers say they’ll quit their jobs if their employers follow upcoming federal rules to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a think tank concentrating on health issues, found 37% of unvaccinated workers say they will quit their jobs if forced to either get vaccinated or take weekly COVID tests. And if their employer mandates vaccines and doesn’t offer the testing option, 72% of the unvaccinated workers say they will quit.
If the surveyed unvaccinated workers follow through on their threats to quit, it would lead to somewhere between 5% to 9% of workers leaving their jobs, depending upon what rules they face.
Judge Denies NYPD Union’s Bid to Halt COVID Vaccine Mandate
A Staten Island judge denied a police union’s request to temporarily halt the implementation of the city’s vaccine mandate that is set to take effect Nov. 1.
“Today’s ruling sets the city up for a real crisis. The haphazard rollout of this mandate has created chaos in the NYPD,” PBA President Patrick J. Lynch said in a statement. “City Hall has given no reason that a vaccine mandate with a weekly testing option is no longer enough to protect police officers and the public, especially while the number of COVID-19 cases continues to fall.”
The union plans on filing an immediate appeal to the ruling. The NYPD could not immediately be reached for comment.
Vax Mandate Could Force FDNY Companies to Close, as NYPD Faces Street Cop Shortage
The FDNY is preparing to shutter as many as 20% of all Big Apple fire companies — and take an equal portion of its ambulances off the streets — ahead of the impending deadline for all city workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the FDNY said just 65% of its firefighters, fire officers and EMS workers had been vaccinated despite Mayor Bill de Blasio’s order that all city workers receive at least one dose or face suspension without pay on Monday.
The widespread resistance by firefighters “is going to take about 40% of us out” and could lead to response times of “seven minutes or more,” an FDNY member suggested.
Bill Would Remove ‘Conscience’ as Basis for Refusing Vaccine
Illinois law has for more than four decades protected those who oppose providing or receiving medical treatment because of their religious beliefs. Now Democrats want an exception to allow repercussions for those who refuse vaccinations in the battle against COVID-19.
Long considered a shield for physicians whose religious beliefs precluded their performing abortions, the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act has become a pandemic lightning rod. Lawsuits invoking it are challenging employers trying to enforce rules requiring testing for or inoculation against the coronavirus.
Florida Sues Biden, NASA Over COVID Vaccine Mandates for Federal Contractors
The state of Florida is suing President Biden, NASA and a number of officials and agencies within the Biden administration over its “unlawful” COVID-19 vaccine mandates requiring government contractors to get vaccinated, saying the rule interferes with Florida’s employment policies and “threatens” the state’s economy.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and Gov. Ron DeSantis filed the lawsuit, first obtained by Fox News, against Biden, NASA, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and officials within the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Defense over the mandates, which require all workers in the executive branch be vaccinated against COVID-19, and require federal contractors to mandate vaccinations and ensure workers are fully vaccinated by Dec. 8.
Facebook Isn’t Telling the Whole Story About Its Mental Health Research
Ever since The Wall Street Journal published internal Facebook research that found Instagram harmed the well-being of teenage girls, the company’s defense has been to minimize and dismiss its own findings — saying documents were only relevant for internal product development. That’s nonsense, social science researchers say.
Though Facebook’s work by itself is limited, it fits into a larger set of data — including from researchers outside the company — that suggests social media can have harmful effects on mental health. And even if that context didn’t exist, Facebook’s work alone suggests something bad enough is going on that it should cause concern.
Chicago FOP to Ask Judge to Block COVID Vaccine Mandate at Hearing Thursday
The fight over Chicago’s vaccine mandate continues Thursday.
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police will be back in court to ask a judge to block the city’s requirement for city workers to reveal whether or not they are vaccinated. The union has filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to be issued against the mandate.
COVID Vaccine Waivers Were Given to Some Massachusetts Prison Guards, Then They Were Told It Was ‘in Error’
A Massachusetts prison guard says it would be catastrophic if he lost his job over Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The correction officer, who spoke to MassLive on the condition of anonymity, said he was initially approved for a religious exemption under Baker’s order, which required more than 40,000 Executive Department employees and contractors to be fully immunized by Oct.17.
But the officer — alongside multiple other state prison guards, according to family members who also spoke to MassLive on the condition of anonymity — was thrown a curveball weeks later. He’s worried it could trigger a staffing shortage at facilities across Massachusetts.
Minnesota Doctors Silenced Over COVID Views: ‘If It’s Happening to Someone Else, It Could Happen to You’
Two Minnesota doctors are speaking out after being silenced for reiterating the importance of individual rights as it pertains to COVID-related policies.
Dr. Scott Jensen, a GOP gubernatorial candidate in the state, faces a fifth investigation in just one year for emphasizing the importance of natural immunity, and Dr. Jeffrey Horak was reportedly terminated from his role of 15 years as a veteran of general surgery after speaking at a local school board meeting.
The pair joined “Fox & Friends” on Thursday to discuss the repercussions of being “canceled,” and emphasize the importance of protecting individual rights despite the global pandemic.
Should Doctors Peddling COVID Disinformation Lose Their License? — A Group of Physicians Is Pushing the Federation of State Medical Boards to Do Just That
On this week’s episode, Eve Bloomgarden, MD, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, who is a member of No License for Disinformation, a non-partisan grassroots coalition taking on disinformation by healthcare providers, joins us to explain how they plan to push for action against those who spread false information.
The following is an abridged transcript of her interview with “Track the Vax” host, Serena Marshall:
Noem Order Aimed at Easing Exemptions for Vaccine Mandate
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem issued an executive order Wednesday aimed at ensuring that state employees can easily obtain medical and religious exemptions from federal vaccine mandates.
Noem said the move was necessary to ensure that employees aren’t forced to get COVID-19 vaccinations under President Joe Biden’s initiative, which covers not only people directly paid by federal contracts but also anyone who works to support them.
State lawmakers have said South Dakotans are being denied medical and religious exemptions from feds and have called for a special session to stop it. Noem spokesman Jordan Overturf said Noem’s exemptions are “explicit and offer a clear path” for state workers to opt out of the shots.
FDNY Union to Protest NYC Vaccine Mandate Thursday Outside Gracie Mansion
Members of the FDNY union are expected to rally Thursday in protest of New York City’s vaccine requirement, which includes first responders.
As CBS2’s John Dias reports, the fire union invited thousands of workers to rally outside Gracie Mansion, taking their concerns right to the mayor’s home. “I’m assuming the commissioner is telling the mayor, ‘We got this.’ I’m telling you, you’re wrong,” Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro told CBS2.
A high ranking FDNY source told CBS2 as many as 20% of fire companies could close, and their ambulance fleet may beimpacted as well, if the mayor doesn’t budge on his mandate. Ansbor said, simply put, there will be deaths. “I don’t think the mayor understands what’s going to happen on November 1,” he said.
Judge Rejects Challenge to Southwest’s Vaccine Mandate + More
Judge Rejects Challenge to Southwest’s Vaccine Mandate
A federal judge has rejected a bid by pilots to block Southwest Airlines from imposing a vaccine mandate, saying the airline is within its power to require vaccination as a safety measure.
U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn denied the request by the airline’s pilot union to issue a temporary restraining order against the airline’s requirement. The judge said Tuesday that Southwest is within its authority to require vaccinations to improve safety and maintain its operations.
Alabama Hospital Defies Biden Administration, Ends COVID Vaccine Requirement for Staff
Bowing to the threat of legal action against it, one Alabama hospital has rescinded its requirement that all staff be vaccinated against the coronavirus. UAB Hospital in Birmingham said it will wait to learn how the federal vaccine mandates announced by President Joe Biden play out before imposing any requirement, according to WBRC-TV.
Last week, the Alabama Center for Law and Liberty said the hospital was violating state law, according to Al.com. The letter said the state’s ban on vaccine passports means government entities cannot require anyone to disclose vaccine information.
“Consequently, UAB Hospital may not require its employees to disclose whether they have been vaccinated or not. Likewise, the Alabama Attorney General has examined the law and concluded that ‘no government, school, or business in Alabama may demand that a constituent, or customer, respectively, be vaccinated for COVID-19 or show proof of his or her vaccination for COVID-19,” the letter said.
Healthcare Workers Back in Court to Battle New York State Vaccine Mandate
A hearing will be held Wednesday on the lawsuit by some New York State healthcare workers challenging the state’s vaccine mandate.
Gov. Kathy Hochul‘s order did not make exemptions for those with religious objections.
Some workers sued and won a preliminary injunction, blocking the state from enforcing the mandate. On Wednesday, the governor’s appeal of that injunction will be heard by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan.
Senate Panel Hits YouTube, TikTok, Snap Over Kids
Senators put executives from YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat on the defensive Tuesday, questioning them about what they’re doing to ensure young users’ safety on their platforms.
Citing the harm that can come to vulnerable young people from the sites — ranging from eating disorders to exposure to sexually explicit content and material promoting addictive drugs — the lawmakers also sought the executives’ support for legislation bolstering protection of children on social media. But they received little firm commitment.
“The problem is clear: Big Tech preys on children and teens to make more money,” Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said at a hearing by the Senate Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection.
Protesters Rally in Rochester Against Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Mandate
Scores of protesters took to the streets of downtown Rochester on Monday to express opposition to Mayo Clinic’s vaccine mandate.
As of Oct. 14, about 8,000 workers — or 12% of Mayo’s workforce system-wide — were unvaccinated. Mayo says those employees must get vaccinated or apply for medical or religious exemption by November. Staff not in compliance with the policy by Jan. 3, 2022 will be terminated.
Why Vaccine Passports Are Causing Chaos
The trouble is that these passes are not interoperable. Most look the same: a QR code on a smartphone or piece of paper. Yet even scanning the codes can be a problem: different verifier apps read different passes. Once scanned, the codes serve up widely varying information, depending on the national or local health systems or attitudes about privacy.
Some vaccine passports, like the CommonPass used in parts of America, share raw data on vaccination status. Others, like the one issued by the NHS, yield only a symbol, a tick or a cross. And the rules of the game are not fixed. During a surge of infections this month, Israel retracted its “green pass” from 2m people who had not yet received booster jabs.
Unvaccinated Los Angeles City Workers to Fork Over $130 a Week for Testing, Given Two More Months to Comply
Los Angeles city employees who have not been vaccinated will have to fork over $130 each week to cover COVID-19 testing but will have a longer deadline to get the shots or lose their jobs, according to a plan passed by lawmakers Tuesday.
City workers originally had until Oct. 20 to get fully vaccinated but now they have until Dec. 18. During the extended period, unvaccinated workers will have $65 deducted from their paychecks twice a week to cover the cost of weekly testing, or $260 per pay period.
Newhouse Takes on Biden COVID Vaccine Mandate for Hanford. Alternative Proposed
A bill introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., would allow Hanford and other workers for the federal government to provide proof of COVID-19 antibodies in lieu of getting vaccinated.
“Federal employees who have opted not to receive the vaccine because they have natural immunity developed after recovering from the virus do not deserve to be fired,” Newhouse said in a statement Tuesday after introduction the legislation.
DC Council to Consider COVID Vaccine Mandate for Students, Public Hearing Underway
The DC Council is considering a vaccine mandate for students at area schools. A group of parents pushing for vaccines for students wrote a letter to the council.
The purpose of the legislation is to require all students eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in DC Public Schools, public charter schools, independent, private, and parochial schools to get the shot by Dec. 15, 2021. The vaccination mandate would be waived if the student is exempt for religious or medical reasons.
A Colorado Lawsuit Is Testing the Boundaries of Religious Exemptions to COVID Vaccines
The doctor, one of the protagonists of this story, is a pediatric intensive care specialist in Colorado Springs working with some of the sickest children in the state. She’s unvaccinated against COVID-19, despite both state and employer mandates requiring vaccination.
“In a religiously pluralistic society, we have to respect people’s religious objections,” said Peter Breen, an attorney representing the doctor and her co-plaintiff, a medical student at the University of Colorado (CU) School of Medicine.
The two plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit against CU are anonymous — they go by Dr. Jane Doe and John Doe in the court documents. Both say that requiring them to take a coronavirus vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs.
VA, DOD Outline Approaches to Enforcing Vaccine Mandate
The two largest departments, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have separately started rolling out details on how they will enforce the Biden administration’s Coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal employees, both stressing that those who do not comply and are not eligible for an exception ultimately will face firing.
Those two departments account for about half of the federal workforce outside the Postal Service; while the DOD is the larger of the two, the VA has been the most closely watched since most of its workforce was subject to an earlier deadline to be fully vaccinated under a mandate for its Veterans Health Administration that predated the general one.
Chicago Aldermen Push for Special Meeting on Vaccine Mandate That Has Prompted Lawsuits, Police Union Defiance
More than a dozen Chicago aldermen have filed notice to force a special meeting of the City Council later this week to undo Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate on city workers.
Under City Council rules, any three aldermen can call a special meeting to discuss ordinance proposals or other issues. Southwest Side Ald. Silvana Tabares, 23rd, has been leading an effort to repeal Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate and give the City Council a vote on vaccination rules and consequences for breaking them. She signed the letter calling for the special meeting, along with mostly Northwest and Southwest Side aldermen whose wards include many city workers.
California Shuts Down Second In-N-Out Location for Defying COVID Rules: ‘Unreasonable’
Northern California health officials shut down another In-N-Out Burger restaurant location Tuesday for allowing indoor dining without checking patrons for proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
Contra Costa County suspended the permit of the In-N-Out located at 570 Contra Costa Blvd. in Pleasant Hill after the business received an additional two citations. The In-N-Out locations in Pinole and San Ramon also each received violation notices Tuesday for violating the vaccine order.