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Morgan Stanley’s NY Office Bans Unvaccinated Staff, Clients + More
Morgan Stanley’s New York Office Bans Unvaccinated Staff and Clients
Morgan Stanley plans to ban workers from its New York headquarters if they have not received a COVID-19 vaccine. The rule will apply to non-vaccinated guests and clients as well.
According to a source close to the company, Morgan Stanley said in a memo to its employees in the New York metropolitan area that all staff working in buildings with a “large employee presence” are required to confirm their vaccination status by July 1.
The source added that “vaccine attestation is on an honorary basis for employees, contingent workforce, clients and visitors.” The Financial Times was the first to report the news. The company plans to expand the vaccination mandate to employees and guests in other Morgan Stanley locations in New York City and nearby Westchester starting July 12.
Fifth of Google Play Apps Violate Child Protection Law
One in five apps on Google Play designed for children appear to be breaking federal law, according to new research from Comparitech.
The consumer rights and comparison site analyzed the top 300 free and top 200 paid apps on the marketplace under the children and family categories and reviewed each listed privacy policy.
It found that one in five contravened the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), legislation which places a strict set of FTC-enforced requirements on websites and online services aimed specifically at the under-13s, or those that collect personal data on children.
All UK Arrivals in EU Should Be Quarantined, Says Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel has said travelers from the UK should be quarantined wherever they arrive in the EU, as the union’s agency for disease control forecast that the Delta variant of COVID will account for 90% of cases in member states by the end of August.
Ahead of Thursday’s summit with fellow EU leaders, the German chancellor said she wanted better coordination to fight the spread of the highly transmissible variant that has surfaced strongly in the UK and is now bedding down in the bloc.
“In our country, if you come from Great Britain, you have to go into quarantine – and that’s not the case in every European country, and that’s what I would like to see,” Merkel told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
Florida Urges Judge to Reject Facebook Censorship Arguments
Accusing social media platforms of censorship, Florida attorneys late Monday pushed back against an attempt to block a new state law that would put restrictions on companies such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The state, in a 61-page court filing, argued that U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle should reject a request by online industry groups for a preliminary injunction against the law, a top priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The law, which is scheduled to take effect July 1, seeks to prevent large social media companies from barring political candidates from their platforms and would require companies to publish — and apply consistently — standards about issues such as blocking users.
Ohio Vaccine Choice Bill Back in the Spotlight
Doctors, health professionals and business groups lined up Tuesday to oppose a bill in the Ohio House that would allow people to opt out of the COVID-19 vaccination nearly two weeks after controversial testimony supporting the bill created nationwide attention.
Rep. Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester, introduced the Vaccine Choice & Anti-Discrimination Act in what she called an effort to protect people who choose not to be vaccinated from discrimination due to vaccine status.
The bill caught national attention following a June 10 hearing when Cleveland-area doctor Sherri Tenpenny, along with Joanna Overholt — who said she was a nurse practitioner – each said the COVID-19 vaccine leads to magnetism and causes metal objects to stick to the body of a person after they received the vaccine.
EU Investigates Google’s Conduct in Digital Ad Tech Sector
European Union regulators have launched a fresh antitrust investigation of Google, this time over whether the U.S. tech giant is stifling competition in digital advertising technology.
The European Commission said Tuesday that it has opened a formal investigation into whether Google violated the bloc’s competition rules by favoring its own online display advertising technology services at the expense of rival publishers, advertisers and advertising technology services.
More Than 150 Houston Hospital Workers Are Fired or Resigned Over COVID Vaccine Requirement
More than 150 employees at a Houston hospital system have been fired or resigned after the medical system implemented a mandate requiring a COVID-19 vaccine and a judge dismissed an employee lawsuit over it.
The hospital system had required employees to complete their immunization by June 7. One hundred seventy-eight employees were suspended for two weeks without pay for not complying.
And after the suspension period ended Tuesday, 153 employees either resigned or were terminated for not completing their inoculations, a spokesperson for Houston Methodist Hospital system told The Associated Press.
Federal Jury Awards $2.4 Million in Damages to Fired AstraZeneca Sales Manager Who Alleged Retaliation for Whistleblowing
A federal jury in Portland on Tuesday awarded $2.4 million in damages to a woman who said she was fired from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals for complaining about alleged misleading marketing tactics.
Suzanne Ivie had worked at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals for 19 years, most recently in Salt Lake City as an executive district sales manager within its respiratory products division. Her district covered eastern Oregon, Idaho and Utah. She was fired on June 6, 2019, from her job, where she made $223,000 a year.
LAPD Examines Whether It Could Make COVID Vaccine Mandatory for Cops
Los Angeles Times via MSN reported:
The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday requested the LAPD report back to it on the possibility and legality of a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for officers and the work assignments of its unvaccinated personnel — who represent nearly half the department.
The commission’s civilian members requested the information during their weekly virtual meeting after citing reporting in The Times over the weekend that showed that vaccination rates in public safety agencies in L.A. and across California lag behind those of the state’s overall population.
Only about 52% of LAPD officers are at least partially vaccinated, compared with 64% of Los Angeles residents 16 and older and about 72% of adult Californians, The Times reported. Only about 51% of city firefighters are at least partially vaccinated.
Colleges Want Students to Get a Coronavirus Vaccine, but They’re Split on Requiring the Shots
The Washington Post via MSN reported:
Indiana University, a flagship institution in a staunchly Republican state, will require its more than 100,000 students and employees to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as it turns the page on a strange pandemic school year. “This is saving lives, it’s as simple as that,” said university President Michael A. McRobbie. “And it will enable us to have a normal fall semester.”
Purdue University, also prominent in Indiana, is strongly encouraging vaccination for students and employees but avoiding mandates. A campaign for personal choice and responsibility, Purdue President Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. said, will get better public health results than requirements that “might come across as ham-handed and dictatorial.”
Two public universities, two divergent approaches, one race to a common goal: Maximize vaccination before college students return for the fall. Colleges and universities everywhere face daunting challenges, logistical and political, as they try to create safe campus spaces for living and learning in a nation weary of the coronavirus and divided over masks and vaccines.
Alberta Will Not Have a COVID Vaccine Passport: Dr. Hinshaw
Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw says the province will not have a COVID-19 vaccine passport, but it will not stand in the way of a federal passport.
Tech Giants, Fearful of Proposals to Curb Them, Blitz Washington With Lobbying
New York Times via CBNC reported:
Ms. Pelosi pushed back on Mr. Cook’s concerns about the bills, according to two people with knowledge of the conversations. When Mr. Cook asked for a delay in the Judiciary Committee’s process of considering the bills, Ms. Pelosi pushed him to identify specific policy objections to the measures, said one of the people.
Morgan Reed, the president of the App Association, a trade organization sponsored by Apple and other tech and telecom companies, said in a letter to lawmakers on Tuesday that breaking up platforms and “limiting the services they can provide for our member companies would harm your constituents.”
Google Funded Virus Research by Wuhan Lab-Linked Scientist
After spending much of the past year suppressing information related to the Wuhan lab leak, it has now emerged that Google funded virus research carried out by Wuhan-linked scientist Peter Daszak.
Yes, really.
Until recently, those who dared voice their contention that the virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology found themselves being censored and in some cases banned by Google-owned YouTube.
Amazon Faces MPs’ Scrutiny After Destroying Laptops, Tablets and Books
Amazon is facing fresh political scrutiny after an undercover investigation showed thousands of unsold products, including laptops, TVs, headphones and books — in some cases still in their packaging — being destroyed by the company.
The furore caused by the ITV News report led three Labour MPs, including the chairs of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) on digital skills and data poverty, to demand a meeting with John Boumphrey, the country manager UK at Amazon.
The destruction of unwanted laptops and tablets was incredibly damaging for the environment, they said, but also a “missed opportunity to help millions of people in the UK who do not have a device to connect to the internet”, said the letter, signed by Julie Elliott, Siobhain McDonagh and Darren Jones.
Algorithm of Harm: Facebook Amplified Myanmar Military Propaganda Following Coup
After Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup on 1 February 2021, imprisoning the country’s democratically elected leaders, Facebook banned the armed forces from its platform. The company cited the military’s history of exceptionally severe human rights abuses and the clear risk of future military-initiated violence. But a month later, as soldiers massacred hundreds of unarmed civilians in the streets, we found that Facebook’s own page recommendation algorithm was amplifying content that violated many of its own policies on violence and misinformation.
In the lead up to the annual Armed Forces Day celebration on 27 March, the bloodiest day since the coup (see graph below), Facebook was prompting users to view and “like” pages containing posts that incited and threatened violence, pushed misinformation that could lead to physical harm, praised the military and glorified its abuses.
University of Illinois to Require COVID Vaccine at All 3 Campuses + More
University of Illinois to Require COVID Vaccine for Students at All Three Campuses This Fall
Students at the University of Illinois’ three campuses will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine upon returning in-person for the fall semester, the university’s president announced in a systemwide email Monday.
The move falls in line with recommendations by the American College Health Association and follows vaccine mandates introduced at other Illinois higher education institutions including DePaul University, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.
The campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield will each institute safety measures and separately unveil vaccination guidance later this summer.
Philippines’ Duterte Threatens Vaccine Decliners With Jail, Animal Drug
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, frustrated by the slow pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in his country, threatened people who refuse to get inoculated with jail or an injection of Ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug widely used to treat animals.
Ivermectin has been touted as an alternative treatment for COVID-19 but U.S. and European regulators and the World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended against it.
“You choose, vaccine or I will have you jailed,” Duterte said in a televised address late on Monday, following reports of low turnout at several vaccination sites in the capital Manila.
Attorney Tells Tucker Carlson Indiana U. Vaccine Mandate Is ‘Unconstitutional’
In the segment below on last night’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson interviewed First Amendment attorney Jim Bopp about a lawsuit he filed on behalf of Indiana University students and their parents alleging the university’s COVID vaccine mandate is “unconstitutional.”
Pointing to research linking the COVID vaccine to heart inflammation in young men, Carlson said “forcing students to take the COVID vaccine” could have “profoundly negative consequences.”
Carlson pointed out that the World Health Organization recommends kids under 18 not get the COVID vaccine.
Anti-Vax Group Mounts Legal Blitz to Sow Disinformation Against Vaccinations
Just as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began in earnest in the United States, the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) sent its subscribers a “legal update” on its war against employers and schools planning to require the shots.
An unspecified number of organizations had supposedly dropped their mandates – one just after Ican took them to court – and the Texas-based anti-vaccination nonprofit was prowling for more plaintiffs.
“If you or anyone you know is being required by an employer or school to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, ICAN is pleased to offer to support legal action on your behalf to challenge the requirement,” read the January email.
How Your Power Company Can Remotely Control Your Smart Thermostat
Texas’s power grid is unpleasantly surprising its users again. After last winter’s storm disabled parts of the grid for several days, causing potentially hundreds of deaths, a summer heat wave is once again threatening the grid. One potential solution Texas power companies have found is to turn up the temperature on some customers’ smart thermostats. Problem is, some of those customers weren’t aware that their power company could and would do such a thing — until their homes got uncomfortably warm.
One Houston family told a local news affiliate that their smart thermostat was turned up to 78 degrees with seemingly no notice other than a text sent after the fact. When they enrolled in a program called “Smart Savers Texas” — entering them in a sweepstakes to win up to $5,000 off their energy bills for the next year — these users didn’t realize that this also gave the power company permission to adjust their thermostat during high demand periods, like heat waves.
EU Data Watchdogs Want Ban on AI Facial Recognition
The EU’s data protection agencies on Monday called for an outright ban on using artificial intelligence to identify people in public places, pointing to the “extremely high” risks to privacy.
In a non-binding opinion, the two bodies called for a “general ban” on the practice that would include “recognition of faces, gait, fingerprints, DNA, voice, keystrokes and other biometric or behavioural signals, in any context”.
Such practices “interfere with fundamental rights and freedoms to such an extent that they may call into question the essence of these rights and freedoms,” the heads of the European Data Protection Board and the European Data Protection Supervisor said.
Don’t Worry About the AI Singularity: The Tipping Point Is Already Here
As the AI market expands and AI use cases permeate every industry, every once in a while I hear the question – when will the AI singularity occur? For those who are not familiar with this term – the AI singularity refers to an event where the AIs in our lives either become self aware, or reach an ability for continuous improvement so powerful that it will evolve beyond our control. While this is a reasonable concern in the future, I argue that there are much more pressing concerns in the present – in particular that AI has reached a Tipping Point.
A tipping point is a state where a technology grows and permeates our lives very rapidly, building upon itself. The distinction between the singularity and the tipping point, in my view, is that the tipping point focuses on permeation, not intelligence. The AIs that we deal with today are not particularly smart when compared to the human brain. However, from the time we wake up in the morning to when we go to bed, they are everywhere, from the alarm that wakes us to the route we take to work (pre-pandemic!) to countless decisions made behind the scenes by corporations and governments that affect what loan interest rate we get, how we qualify for assistance, decisions on our health, and more. This is the tipping point I am referring to, and while it is far less entertaining than contemplating an all knowing AI overlord, it is real, it is here, and it is affecting all of our lives.
MIT Makes an AI Smart Carpet for Monitoring People Without Cameras
Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have come up with a way to use carpets to monitor humans without using privacy-invading cameras.
The so-called intelligent carpet could have applications in personalized healthcare, smart homes, and gaming. It also might offer a more privacy-friendly way of delivering healthcare to people who need to be remotely monitored by healthcare professionals.
As MIT CSAIL notes, other research in this field has relied on devices like wearable cameras, and webcams.
Germany Opens Antitrust Probe Against Apple
Germany on Monday opened an investigation against Apple over anti-competition practices, making the iPhone maker the fourth US tech giant to be hit by such probes. The antitrust authority had in recent weeks opened similar investigations against Amazon, Google and Facebook under a new law that took effect in January giving regulators more powers to rein in big tech companies.
The watchdog said it has initiated the first stage of the probe to determine if Apple has “cross-market significance.”
“An ecosystem extending across different markets can be one indication of such a position held by a company,” said the authority. “Such positions of power can make it very hard for other companies to counter it.”
States Move to Ban Vaccine Passports + More
States Move to Ban Vaccine Passports
As Americans figure out what post-pandemic life will look like, some states are taking steps to ensure that proof of vaccination ― or so-called “vaccine passports” ― won’t be part of it.
On Tuesday, Missouri became the latest state to restrict when its citizens could be asked to show they were vaccinated for COVID-19. At least fifteen other states have limited or banned vaccine passports via legislation or governors’ executive orders. Some of the measures prevent local governments from issuing or requiring vaccine credentials, while others also discourage businesses from doing so. At least one state, Arizona, made an exception for healthcare providers.
How COVID-19 Vaccine Policies Have Triggered Lawsuits and Workplace Showdowns
Tens of millions of Americans have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and with that, workplaces around the country are opening up once again
But the rules that some employers and others have put into place mandating vaccines that are still not fully authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, have sparked showdowns with employees.
Lawsuits have been filed against a Texas hospital, a Los Angeles school district, a North Carolina sheriff and a New Mexico detention center, to name a few.
California Launches Website to Help Residents Get Digital Vaccine Record, Insists It’s Not a Passport
A new website in California will give the public a way to access their digital COVID-19 vaccine record and share their proof of vaccination. While that may sound awfully close to a vaccine passport, which is a contentious topic in some states, California insists that it’s not.
The state recently unveiled its Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record portal, which it describes as an “optional means” for people to obtain their covid-19 vaccine information. According to the website, the record provided is the digital version of the paper card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention individuals receive when they’re vaccinated. California officials also maintain that the digital vaccine record is also a convenient safeguard for people who have misplaced or lost their physical card.
COVID-Tracker App Installs Itself Without User Consent, Including on Parental-Locked Devices
Massachusetts state officials recently announced the launch of the “voluntary” MassNotify app, which monitors the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The only problem is the app appears to be installing itself on residents’ and their kids’ smartphones, unbeknownst to users, and without their consent.
The news creates a disturbing new dimension to privacy laws and even private property concerns as hundreds of users have reported their Android phones have had the app surreptitiously installed, without their prior knowledge.
Is 5G a Potential Fire Hazard?
Fire! This word strikes fear in Colorado. Our state is facing its worst fire season ever. This summer may be as dangerous as any we have faced, and we are all in a hypervigilant state to prevent fires. Compounding the threat is the unprecedented proliferation of 5G cell towers.
According to Tony P. Simmons, P. E., an electrical engineer who is a subject matter expert on electrical safety in California and Nevada, “Many people are not aware that electrical equipment, including all cell towers and 5G small cell sites, pose a fire threat that must be mitigated by a recognized electrical fire safety expert. Every electrical device is going to fail at some point. The goal is to ensure that failures do not imperil life, health and property.”
Three fires in California have been started either in part or in whole by telecommunications equipment failures: Silverado, Woolsey and Malibu Canyon.
As Qatar Mandates COVID Vaccines for 2022 World Cup, Here’s How Other Sports Are Preparing to Welcome Fans Back
Fans hoping to see the 2022 World Cup in Doha, Qatar will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend, the country’s prime minister announced Monday, an increasingly common, if divisive, strategy as large sporting events around the world grapple with how to safely welcome back athletes and fans amid an ongoing pandemic and an unevenly distributed immunization drive.
Many requirements implicitly acknowledge the reality of an uneven and, as of yet, incomplete vaccine rollout, opting for proof of vaccination or a negative test. For international events like the World Cup and the Olympics, there may be a tendency towards stricter vaccine mandates as differences in containing the coronavirus and its variants around the world risk importing the disease. For international events, this poses numerous issues, particularly with regard to what types of vaccines are considered eligible and the inability for much of the world to access vaccines while wealthy nations hoard supplies. Domestically, such as in Florida, laws forbidding “vaccine passports” could also complicate such requirements.
Wisconsin Lawmakers Advance Bill Banning COVID Passports + More
Wisconsin Lawmakers Advance Bill Banning COVID-19 Vaccine Passports
Lawmakers in Wisconsin advanced a bill this week that would prohibit any public or private entity in the state from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.
The bill was backed by state Republicans with proponents arguing that residents have a right to keep their medical decisions private.
Some have also argued that the passports would force individuals to get vaccinated just so they could resume their routine activities.
Why Making the COVID-19 Vaccine a Legal Requirement for Healthcare Workers Is a Bad Idea
When it comes to the power of immunization to prevent disease and death, I’m a believer – as we all should be. I have written time and time again about the need for our population to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, in the wake of the government’s announcement that it will make it mandatory for all care home workers, and people who enter care homes, to have the COVID vaccine, I find myself balking at ministers’ audacity as they seek to enshrine this latest vaccine development into law.
Bruce Springsteen Fans With AstraZeneca Vaccine to Be Turned Away From New York Theatre Shows
Bruce Springsteen fans who have had the AstraZeneca vaccine will be turned away from his comeback shows on Broadway, it has been announced.
The musician is returning with a five-night run at the St James theatre in New York on Saturday 26 June, with additional performances scheduled for September. Tickets went on sale on 10 June.
A notice on Springsteen’s official website says audience members are required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination in order to enter the theatre.
However, a link to further information states that guests need to be fully vaccinated with an FDA-approved [Food and Drug Administration] vaccine, per the rules for New York State.
EU Recommends Opening to Americans to Rescue the Summer
The European Union recommended on Friday that its member states lift the ban on nonessential travel for visitors from the United States, a move sure to be welcomed by Americans eager to travel to the continent after more than a year of tight restrictions.
The recommendation is nonbinding, and each member state can decide what regulations, including quarantines, to impose on visitors, and several nations quickly said they would open their doors to American travelers. Americans have been mainly banned from Europe as the United States grappled with one of the highest caseloads in the world.
One of Big Tech’s Biggest Critics Is Now Its Regulator
One of Lina Khan’s first projects as a new staff member at an antitrust think tank in 2011 was researching the history of the market for books, which had increasingly been dominated by Amazon. It was an early, unpublished entry in a body of work that has since established her as a major critic of the tech giants and corporate concentration.
She spent the next 10 years honing her arguments, becoming a leading figure in a growing movement that calls for more aggressive policing of Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon.
Now she’s in a position to put those ideas into action — and in doing so, potentially reshape how the country regulates its biggest companies.
Pakistan to Block Cell Phone Signal of Those Who Refuse COVID Vaccine
Residents of Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces who refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine could have their cell phone signal blocked. The measure was one of the solutions found by local authorities to encourage the population to immunize, as reported by The New York Times on Tuesday.
With 216 million inhabitants currently, the Asian country began vaccination for COVID-19 in February, with the expectation of serving between 45 and 65 million people by the end of this year. However, only 3 million had received the two doses in early June, according to official data.